A Cage of Blood and Circumstance
by shadowsdeep
Summary: You've been inserted into the body of someone in Konoha. Do you become a Ninja; killing others and likely dying, or run and live? An OC-insert into one of the worst possible people in the Narutoverse – Hyūga Hinata. AU. No bashing or serious relationships. INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Welcome to the Cage

**Disclaimer: This is a non-profit work of fiction and all copyrights to the Naruto manga and anime are retained by their original owners.**

Extended Summary: If you found yourself in the body of someone in the Narutoverse, would that really be a good thing? What would you really do, become a Ninja or run? An OC-insert into one of the worst possible people in the Narutoverse – Hyūga Hinata. Even if you want to, running isn't possible. Follow Hinata as she tries to overcome the cage formed of her blood; Heir of the Hyūga Clan, and circumstance; the terrible events she knows are coming in Konoha's future. An AU story that gives a few advantages to Hinata as a result of the insertion and makes a change so that the dōjutsu with the greatest perception has the potential to equal the others. When the canon Sharingan and Rinnegan are compared to the Byakugan, it's hardly an even matchup. Supposedly it has the greatest perception, but events don't prove that out. Neji wasn't able to tell which Naruto was the real one, yet Sasuke could?

Explores what it might mean if, when all capabilities and disadvantages are considered, the three great dōjutsu are at least close to equal. The Rinnegan has amazing abilities that blatantly defy the laws of nature, but is exceptionally difficult to activate at all. The Sharingan comes with an impressive list of abilities even in the first three stages but not all Uchiha unlock their abilities. The price for unlocking the powerful higher levels is even greater; with blindness resulting if only the Mangekyō is unlocked.

By contrast, the Byakugan is used by every Hyūga, apparently not requiring any special circumstance to unlock. In this story, it lives up to its name as the dōjutsu with the greatest vision and insights; it is simply that activating all features of the bloodline takes beyond exceptional chakra control at a very young age, too young to be feasible. If a majority of perception modes are not discovered within two years of first activation, the Byakugan loses the flexibility required to use them later, after the Hyūga has possibly discovered the chakra control required.

An adult mind in a child's body though, one that is used to not feeling chakra and so is far more sensitive to its location is a different story. Watch as Hinata struggles to balance the demands of her clan and village with her morals, what she wants and the looming spectre foreknowledge of possible events provides.

**Tl,Dr:** Power comes from skill gained during hard training combined with experience. No quick power-ups, experience, skill and treachery almost always defeat youth and power. Strives for internal consistency, no character bashing or exaggerated clichés hopefully.

Small note: The chaotic terms of personal reference at the start of the chapter are intentional, not an error. Also, I've been reading long enough that I often can't remember without some effort if a specific jutsu or idea was part of the original canon or part of fanon. When I am aware that I've borrowed something from another fanfiction author, I'll give credit at the bottom of the chapter it occurred in. If you see something that you think originally belongs to another author, please PM me and let me know. If I agree, I'll amend the chapter straight away to include the appropriate credits.

**A Cage of Blood and Circumstance**

**Prologue – Welcome to the Cage**

A sudden jarring sense of motion jolted me awake, my senses disoriented and lungs straining for air, a suffocating blanket wrapped tightly around me with something hard digging into my stomach from below. Another jarring impact drove what small breath I had left from my lungs and the tightening of a hand grasping my ankles served to make my position clear; I was draped like a bag of laundry over someone's shoulder. I struggled ineffectively as my oxygen-starved brain tried to grasp what was going on.

'Have I been picked up by some sort of freakish giant?' I thought. The size of the shoulder driving into me and the hand grasping both ankles suggested it, although the long pauses between his footsteps indicated slow movement at least. Vaguely I heard muffled shouting and the giant made a series of sudden twists, my torso whipping back and forth as my legs were held in place, before with a grunt and sudden feeling of weightlessness I was flying through the air. With a thump I landed and rolled, dispersing the momentum and coming to rest on my back.

The blanket fell apart enough for me to see a dark form partially eclipsing the stars, towering over me in a strange stance, seemingly preparing for an attack from outside my field of view. Prepared or not it did him little good; a second later another figure appeared from thin air at arm's reach directly in front. I got the sense of blurred motion and grunts for a second before they froze, the second man with his hand flat on the chest of the other; a spike of what appeared to be translucent blue energy exploding from the back of the man that'd been carrying me. There was the sound of a cough and something wet spattered on the ground, then the man standing over me toppled slowly backwards, his arms falling limply to the side.

A voice spoke above me, low and urgent, the meaning lost amidst words that were confusing gibberish to my ears. I stared upwards in blank incomprehension, my lack of breath preventing a response even if my mind hadn't been in turmoil. The sounds were repeated slightly louder, and in a rush the meaning bubbled up from some forgotten corner of my brain; "Hinata, are you injured?"

Suddenly the world snapped into sharp focus. The features of the man leaning over me, creepy, all-white eyes seemingly focused on a point a foot through my head locked onto my face. In an instant, disjointed facts that hadn't impinged on my consciousness were brought into stark relief: The metal plate on the forehead of the man lying beside me, the strange blue energy that had come from his back, the name I had been called and most of all, the creepy white pupil-less eyes and understanding a foreign language that sounded Japanese – I was Hyūga Hinata. A wave of darkness seemed to sweep across my vision as I succumbed gratefully to oblivion.

* * *

The return of consciousness was a gradual process as my mind rose to awareness like a slowly surfacing shark, the soft pillow pressed against the side of my face and hard mattress informing me of my location, as I mulled over the weird dream that remained so vivid in my mind. It was strange enough to dream myself into a Manga, stranger still for it to be as _that_ character – why not Naruto or Sasuke if I was going to dream of it at all. I lay there in a half-drowse, letting my mind drift randomly as an irritant made itself progressively greater until I couldn't ignore it – _hard mattress?_

My eyes shot open, dazzled by the light before almost instantly adjusting to a crystal clear view of a white pillow and fine sheets, with the dark wooden floor polished to a mirror-finish extending away almost level with my head. I was sleeping in a futon, not my expensive mattress. Slowly, keeping everything else still, I raised my hand from under the pillow, the tiny, childish size telling me all I needed to know about the status of my dream.

It was with dawning shock that I realised there were two sets of memories in my mind, where before there had been only one. Alongside my recollections of University lectures were memories of my small body being patiently moved through stance after stance, language and the beginning of deportment lessons and finally, being taught to unlock my chakra shortly after my third birthday. Given that was nearly a year ago, I must be almost four in this body.

My mind began to race, 'Four years old in the Narutoverse?' I could become a great shinobi, take advantage of foreknowledge of what was to come, use my memories of training methods to become a prodigy and help Naruto; even track down those who would be threats and eliminate them... early... Wait.

I was in the Narutoverse, where shinobi took assassination missions, everyone with power operated in a climate of secrecy and lies within lies, there was an official organisation openly titled the _Torture and Interrogation Unit_ and fights were more subject to the butterfly effect than anything else – the slightest mistake and I could be dead or crippled for life. This wasn't an adventure or opportunity, this was a nightmare!

Mentally I scratched being a shinobi off my career planner – I would just look up Naruto as a civilian kid, maybe offer some pointers that I could say I heard a couple of Chūnin discussing. Perhaps go to the academy to get some basic training to build on in my own time for self defence, but make sure to fail the graduation exam. I should be fairly safe if I made sure to be away from Konoha during the Chūnin exam finals and around the time Pain visited. I could look for a job as a shopkeeper, perhaps a weapons store or something similar and I could get some start-up money from the clan; they were certainly rich… enough... Wait.

I was the Heiress of the Hyūga clan – not taking the path of a shinobi meant an automatic relegation to the branch house and with it, the Caged Bird Seal. I stifled a groan as I considered going through with it anyway – at least I would still be alive.

In the end, I reluctantly pushed that option aside. Aside from the pain and risk with the sealing itself, the seal was effectively slavery and I had no illusions about my ability to withstand the kind of torture the seal was capable of in the hands of a Main house member. Once I was sealed I would give up what limited control I had – I might be ordered to continue shinobi training to act as a guard in the Branch house, putting myself at risk and liable to be given morally repugnant orders that I would have to obey or die.

In a fit of pique I considered running, but the likelihood of successfully evading the clan if I left before becoming a shinobi was incredibly low; after I would be a missing-nin and the Hunters would be after me, to say nothing of the problems of supporting myself. Successful desertion as a shinobi would require S-rank skills – the kind of reputation that would see loyal Konoha shinobi avoiding contact rather than seeking me out.

With a soft sigh I turned my mind back to the idea of becoming a shinobi and began to consider the problems. First, the moral issue – I had served time in the Army in my original life, so I had considered the possibility of killing in self-defence, in defence of others or as part of a war and believed that I could handle that, although it remained to be tested. The problem was with the other missions I might be assigned. Spying or stealing was okay, as were patrols and guarding missions, or at least I could see myself accepting them.

Seduction, interrogation and assassination though, were a much more unpleasant proposition. Of the three, seduction was the easiest to consider as it mainly affected me and although distasteful, was something that women had been doing for recorded history – I might even be exempt as the Heir to a major bloodline clan. As for the other two, I could accept that in the case of adult targets the mission would be done if I did it or not, so any refusal would just force one of my fellow shinobi to carry it out in my place.

Given that there would no doubt be years of mental conditioning between now and the need to do either, I tentatively put a check mark in the shinobi career box. I did, however, make a firm resolution that I wouldn't accept interrogation of a civilian child or work long-term in T&I for any reason. I would've made a blanket rule about harm to children but if Kakashi could be a Chūnin at six, it seemed impossible to follow.

Second, my progress as a shinobi verses the integrity of the timeline. Should I keep things to be as they were in the Manga as much as possible? Should I care for the timeline at all? Sure, it'd seemed like it would work out in the end, but there were a lot of deaths and tragedy to get there. Also, I knew that the clan itself matched canon, at least what I could pull from my new set of memories, but there was no guarantee everything else did.

I might spend years keeping things the same as best I could, only to find out Nagato was killed by Hanzo or Danzo and Akatsuki didn't exist or was run by Uchiha Madara directly. In the fanfiction I'd read, the person in my situation could rely on canon, but that might not be the case here. I stifled a shudder at the thought of some of the things I'd read and made a resolution that if there were any signs that Naruto contained some eldritch abomination rather than the Kyuubi, I was heading out of Fire Country immediately.

So, I would take inspiration from everything I had read, both canon and fanon, but attempt to avoid making any assumptions as to the course of events, the personalities of people and the techniques that could be employed. Careful observation would be needed before I took any actions that would be difficult to undo or disavow.

It was fortunate that the Byakugan was so suited to exactly that task, as otherwise the difficulty might be insurmountable for a small child. I had just last week started learning the handseals and internal chakra manipulation that would allow activation and I made a mental note to make proficiency in its use one of my first priorities. With regard to the timeline, I resolved to put off any external changes until I had made further observations and work on my own skills for now.

In the end, it seemed that a shinobi was the only path open to me at the moment, and I cursed the fact that I was in the body of one of the only people whose very identity would so restrict my life choices. Why couldn't I have been some random civilian who was on the path to the academy but could change their mind without much comment? Even Sakura or the other clan heirs could have dropped out prior to graduation, granted there would have been arguments but without the threat of the Caged Bird Seal I could have forced the issue.

The only other person who probably had no choice was Naruto as I couldn't see a decision from the village Jinchuuriki to become a civilian going over well, to say nothing of the likelihood of him finding gainful employment. There was no point speculating any further though, as Naruto may not even exist here and there was no point moping about might-have-been.

The needs of my body, though not urgent, were making themselves known, and I suppressed them as best I could. Concentrating, I brought the lessons just started last week to the front of my mind. Concentrate on the Hara, the chakra pool, draw and mould it as my hands clumsily made seals, each one acting as a key to guide the internal flow. From the Hara to the brain, pool in the visual cortex, two strands extending forward, one to each eye, cover the retina in chakra, send a line back to the brain to form a loop from each eye as I muttered "Byakugan" almost inaudibly under my breath.

Surprisingly I found it much easier to control than what my memories showed, although that might be attributable to the greater power of concentration from an adult mind. Ease of control or not, the first attempt simply caused my vision to whiteout for a second until I relaxed the chakra flow. There was also a strong feeling of disassociation from my body as the differences between what I was used to and the current situation were brought glaringly to my attention.

From the small things this morning, like eyes that adjusted almost instantly to a dramatic change in light levels and crystal clear vision that made everything stand out almost as if it was 'hyper-real', to the fact that as soon as I started to channel chakra I could feel the internal position of every coil; a wealth of other confusing information about my body accompanying it, the obvious discrepancy too much to ignore. It was probably a good thing though, as without some sort of internal sense I wouldn't be able to direct the chakra to the right areas.

I tried again, this time reducing the chakra used by roughly half only to have my vision distort weirdly for an instant before snapping back to normal, the result I had been getting all week. I paused for a moment to check for any sensations of tiredness and attempted to estimate my reserves but without more experience I wasn't confident in my conclusions. In any case as I didn't feel tired and my reserve seemed unchanged I tried again, this time adding about a quarter of the difference between the first and second attempt to the pool in my retinas.

There was a terrible, nausea-inducing moment where the world seemed to warp and wrap around me, almost as if my head had turned inside out through my eye sockets. It was, at the same time, the most disturbing sensation I had ever felt and a great relief as if the world was finally as it should be. The dichotomy proved too much and I cut the chakra flow immediately, squeezing shut my eyes and swallowing convulsively. As the nausea subsided, I thought back to what I had seen. I needed more practice in interpretation but I got the impression that I was alone in my rooms although there may have been guards outside. I also had the feeling that the disorientation had come from my original memories and the comfort from the current body. I would have explored that thought further but the needs of the body had grown too strong to ignore.

Blanking my mind as much as possible, I let the subconscious routine of actions carried out hundreds of times before guide me as I moved to the bathroom and used the facilities. Moving to the sink I kept my eyes focused on the taps until my hands were clean, and then reluctantly raised my face to the mirror. The tiny visage of Hinata stared back, the white on white eyes barely clearing the faucet and the round little face with a weird bowl-cut and blue-black bangs staring back. I took a sharp breath, and lost myself studying what I could see. It had been decades since I was so small, the memories fuzzy and uncertain. After an unknown amount of time, it occurred to me that staring blankly into the mirror when for all I knew, half the clan was watching me was probably not a good idea.

With a sigh I moved back into the bedroom, taking in the large expanse with one other door and a bookshelf and low table surrounded by tatami mats. I straitened my futon before moving over to the table and kneeling in the seiza position. I had a moment of surprise as I reviewed my actions – normally I wouldn't have bothered with the bed and anything like seiza was highly uncomfortable. It appeared that some traits in the original Hinata's personality would come to the fore when I was distracted and I resolved to keep track of my behaviour.

I reviewed what had occurred earlier with my dōjutsu and concluded that I needed further experience in relaxing into the feeling of comfort provided by this body when using the Byakugan. Reactivating the technique I steeled myself to ignore the initial discomfort and after a few seconds it markedly decreased and the feeling of comfort became dominant. I hadn't really known what to expect due to conflicting descriptions in fanfiction and I lost myself in wonder as I gazed about.

In a sphere around me I could see seemingly everything – there was no peripheral vision, everything was in crystal focus at all times, regardless of the angle or distance. The only thing I couldn't see was inside my own head, the details of my body a confusing jumbled mess with chakra coils winding through like neon tubes. Surprisingly, I seemed to be able to concentrate on two things at the same time, with an occasional jump to three. It wasn't fast switching either; I was concentrating on someone preparing food in one direction and the guards outside the door at the same time.

Using the dōjutsu must affect the way information is processed as otherwise only one point of interest could be paid attention to at a time. Perhaps it was something unique to dōjutsu as Naruto's method of completing the Rasengan and Rasenshuriken suggested he wasn't able to concentrate on multiple things at the same time. I could feel the rate of chakra usage from the pool in my brain jump when I activated my eyes so it was possible that was enabling the brain to handle the flood of information.

Considering the area outside my rooms, I could see through my walls and throughout much of the compound in a circle almost 100m in radius around my position, excepting only islands of blankness where I knew the personal quarters of the elders and adults were, as well as the meeting room and Main house archives. There were two guards standing either side of my door, their coils softly glowing but not moulding chakra – they weren't using the Byakugan, nor was anyone else that I could see. I deactivated my chakra and the world inverted, normalcy returning with a feeling of loss.

I practiced the activation, running through the handseals slowly at first then faster, working on speed with fluidity. I also practised the internal manipulation of my chakra, moving it from place to place in different shapes. I reactivated my eyes, waiting to feel the disorientation settle before doing it over again using slightly varying amounts of chakra and checking the resulting effects. I found that with slight increases of chakra I could extend my range by approximately 50m before further increase began to cause a whiteout. Recalling that there was supposed to be a way to trade the encompassing vision for a telescope function, I tried for several minutes to activate the ability before noticing that my chakra reserve had noticeably diminished.

A few seconds of concentration on that were spent trying to determine the rate of depletion but as I couldn't see anything obvious, I shut down my bloodline. A moment later a wave of tiredness seemed to sweep over me and a curious aching feeling seemed to emanate from my coils. I reminded myself again to go slow until I had a better idea of the dangers associated with chakra usage in general and in Hyūga specifically.

With a grimace I pushed to my feet, making my way to the door before sliding it open. On the far side was a modest room, the floor covered in mats with another low table the only furniture. I moved to the door on the far side and opened it to the sight of the two guards I had previously detected. One turned his head to look at me from the corner of his eye. "Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama requested you remain in your room until called. If you wish to eat, we can have food brought to you." came in a monotone from the guard on the left.

Drawing on the memories of instruction in deportment I replied, "Very well. Please do so."

With a faint inclination of the head he moved off and I returned to the sitting room, closing the door as I did so. I assumed the purpose of the room was so that I could have visitors without the implications of intimacy that entering my bedroom would entail, although no one had stated as much to Hinata as far as her memories recalled. Kneeling down to wait for food it suddenly struck me that the ache had gone from my coils and my chakra reserve felt slightly different, although I was not able to tell in what manner.

'At least the damage seems to have healed quickly,' I thought to myself, 'It should make training go quicker.' I took the time to think over where I was with chakra exercises – I had been shown the leaf floating exercise almost a month ago and had been practising with indifferent results. I would need to master that before attempting any form of tree walking. The tree walking could be practiced in my room against the outer wall, which though it looked like paper, in my memories felt harder than steel – likely some form of Fūinjutsu.

I would have to use my progress at wall walking to outline the rest of my training once I had a better idea of my reserves and control. Really, I needed some form of planning journal that also recorded my progress, what worked and didn't and when I achieved milestones in training. It needed to be private though – I would have to see if I could find anything in the archives written in English – if not it would make an excellent private language and I would make sure not to write about any future events without using some kind of code just in case.

The faint noise of the door opening disrupted my thoughts and I could see a maid with a tray kneeling outside. "Enter." I intoned, keeping my voice as flat as possible.

The Maid swiftly set out what appeared to be a Japanese breakfast and then retreated silently from the room. I let out a faint sigh as I relaxed from the artificial pose and for the first time wondered why Hiashi had not been to see me. Something that had been nagging at the back of my mind suddenly jumped to the fore as I remembered what the consequences of my father killing the Kumo ambassador would be. I surged to my feet and was halfway to the door when I managed to gain control of my instinctive response.

'What the hell am I doing?' I thought. Nothing I could do would affect Hizashi's fate so why did the thought of losing my uncle... I stopped there as the changing references struck me. Hizashi was Hinata's uncle, not mine, just as Hiashi was not my father but I had unconsciously slipped into referring to him in that way several times this morning. Turning my thoughts inward, I began a more systematic appraisal of my memories and mind.

After some time, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that instead of a new mind inhabiting a basically empty body with a few memories, I had merged with Hinata's mind. This went a long way to explaining my general acceptance of my new situation and body, also providing the reason I was so comfortable moving about without bumping into things in a much smaller frame. I resolved to try to accept that I was Hinata and her life and relationships were my own; from now on it was _my_ body not _the_ body, her father was my father and her mother had been mine.

With that thought the grief came forward like a dark wave, crashing through my forced calm. I stifled a sob as tears suddenly filled my eyes and it was with an enormous effort of will that I suppressed the urge to cry. The fact that I was even capable of doing so illustrated the differing levels of influence our original selves had on my new personality.

To the original Hinata, her mother's death was the defining tragedy that shaped everything for her over the last six months. However, when compared to twenty-nine years of life experience, although no less a tragedy it could be put in perspective by an adult mind already used to dealing with loss.

With a sniff I began the mechanical process of eating, using the rote action to allow my emotions time to settle. Finishing I replaced the cover on the tray and put it beside the door, moving back into my bedroom.

Lacking anything else to do, I took out a piece of paper from the shelf and tore off a piece the size of a large leaf – doing the leaf floating exercise would at least occupy my time productively and had the benefit of being a praiseworthy activity if anyone were to look at me. Placing the paper in my palm I moulded chakra and pushed a small amount to my palm, only to see it shoot off into the air.

In a blur my other hand snapped across and grabbed the paper before it had gone more than a couple of centimetres and my brows rose in shock. The paper had been moving fast and twisting, in my old body I would have had trouble even seeing it and again I wondered how different the baseline of physical capability was in this universe.

Adding another thing to my fast growing investigate-later pile, I tried again with half as much chakra to the same, if slower, result. I continued in this fashion adjusting my output until the paper stayed steady at a couple of centimetres from my palm and began to slowly rotate. Figuring that I had originally tried with about eight times too much chakra I did my best to memorise the correct amount then cut the flow and tried again.

This time was right the first try and I wondered why it was so much easier for me now than it was before the merge. The only thing I could come up with was the relative ages of our minds making concentration much easier or perhaps the extra experience had an effect on my chakra. Regardless of the reason it seemed like control came significantly quicker and more refined for me than what my apparent age would indicate, which was something of a relief as I knew I needed every edge I could get.

Switching to my other hand I repeated the exercise, this time getting the correct amount on the second try. I knew I needed practice with different amounts of chakra though so I tore the rest of the paper up and used saliva to stick pieces together in varying amounts so they were different weights. My aim was to be able to place a piece of unknown weight on either hand and be able to adjust the chakra flow to compensate before the piece moved noticeably. It was almost an hour later that I felt reasonably satisfied and by that time there was a growing empty feeling in my stomach and an unpleasant tingling in the palms of my hands.

I collected the pieces for later use and wondered what to do next. If my father was dealing with the elders and council I might be forgotten for some time, time that needed to be filled. Running back through memories of my daily routine I hit on reading and calligraphy as common things to practice. It would be good to do a non-chakra based activity while I waited for my reserves to fill and my reading comprehension and speed in English far outstripped that in Japanese or whatever language was spoken here.

Calligraphy was something that would pay off later as I had always been fascinated by the concept of Fūinjutsu and hoped to start looking at the theory in the future. There was no point practicing seals until I could either get a teacher or develop my reserves to allow at least one Kage Bunshin, as I didn't want to risk experimenting and killing myself. Moving over to the shelf I pulled out two books for reading and my practice scroll for calligraphy.

The books were the tale of an imaginary Kunoichi in Heaven country and seemed to be pitched on a level for someone in their early teens. I struggled through half the first one over the next two hours, having to resort to frequent use of the dictionary to make sense of what I was reading before moving on to the calligraphy scroll.

Instead of practicing characters, there were examples of common brushstrokes and combinations with boxes for fifty practice attempts beneath. I worked my way down the scroll for an hour, the ability of four year-old muscles to hold an arm in position without support for so long amazing me, as I would've had difficulty with that in my twenties.

Taking a moment to check my reserves and confirm they had refilled I decided to practice further with the Byakugan, as the moniker All-Seeing White Eye and the description as the dōjutsu with the greatest vision and insights seemed grandiose for what was shown in canon compared to the Rinnegan and the Sharingan abilities.

While Hinata's ability to feel what was happening in her own body when channelling chakra was not possible in my original world, now that we had merged my sense of what my chakra was doing far outstripped what was the case for her previously. It was like a photo taken by moonlight compared to one using the light of the noonday sun, perhaps because I had decades of experience in a body with no chakra at all. Regardless of the reason, this gave me the ability to alter the way I channelled chakra to activate the Byakugan, with a mind capable of understanding both a methodical process and what I saw at a very young age.

I thought back to my earlier attempts and the way the chakra moved and attempted to shift it there without handseals. My first attempt failed as did the next nine but soon I was successful and saw the same view from this morning. After activating the dōjutsu several times without handseals I felt confident to move on to my true interest. Concentrating on the flow of chakra in my eyes and brain I began to experiment.

Close to forty minutes later the wary attention I had left attuned to my reserves let me know they were dwindling fast and I deactivated my eyes with a sigh. The chakra behind the retina was formed into a thin, curved plate and I had spent all my time manipulating this, preferring to leave experimentation involving the brain to a later date.

If the chakra plate was thickened and made softer, more malleable, the range of my vision drastically reduced but the depth of my perception increased in proportion. When my range narrowed to about ten metres in radius my body was suddenly covered in glowing dots, the tenketsu or chakra points. If I continued to extend the depth of the plate at around a five metre radius I could see the faint wisps of chakra emanating from these points. Going the other way, making the plate thinner and harder extended my range but made it more difficult to see chakra, the sense of the coil system inside my guards dimming until all I could see internally was their central reserve.

If other Hyūga had about the same sense of their internal chakra flow as Hinata originally had, they might well settle for the method they used the first time they were successful in activation, without the ability to make fine alterations and test the result.

I moved back to the sitting room and after requesting and receiving lunch started to eat. Paying attention to my reserves I noticed that shortly after I began eating, the rate of refill increased. Apparently chakra could be refilled through the metabolic process, suggesting that if I continued to grow my reserves I would have to secure a plentiful source of food. Perhaps if I requested fruit and snacks to be brought along with my meals I could have something to eat in between, and gradually increase the amounts as my reserves increased.

Speaking of which, I was a little surprised that I had been able to go for so long, as I had expected someone of my age to have far less chakra. On reflection though, the Hyūga had probably been selecting for large chakra reserves since their formation, as using the Jūken and Byakugan in combination likely drained chakra very fast, to say nothing of moves such as the Kaiten. While I ate, I thought on my situation.

There was nothing external to the Hyūga clan that I could affect at the current time, after a kidnapping attempt I would not be leaving the compound for some time and going unescorted would wait even longer. So I had nothing to focus on but my situation here. I would continue to improve as best I could regardless, as the greater my strength the more options I had, the question was how much to show the clan.

If I performed as the canon Hinata had, I had an idea of what might happen but had already resolved that trying to cleave to canon was a futile endeavour and possibly pointless. If I performed very poorly I might well be sealed, not an acceptable option. On the other hand, if I was exceptional, Hanabi would likely be relegated to the Branch house, something I was keen to avoid with the influence of Hinata's original personality.

Perhaps I could use the kidnapping as my public reason to grow stronger and become a shinobi; revenge on Kumo was also a motivating factor. If I could secure my place as Heir, I could suggest to my father that Hanabi remain unsealed until I proved myself as a shinobi by rising to Jōnin, giving us time to find another option. This depended on his attitude but the conversation with Neji after the Chūnin exams gave me hope.

Learning anything other than Jūken and increasing my chakra control and reserves while experimenting with my dōjutsu would have to wait until I was unequivocally the Heir and in good standing, although I could probably research limited topics if I could justify their relationship to Jūken.

Faint sounds reached my ears and I briefly activated my bloodline and saw my father approaching the guards. I deactivated it and moved to face the door in a respectful position; it was best to start as I meant to continue and the games of position and respect were something I would have to play well if I was to be Heir. The door slid open, and I bowed from my kneeling position, "Good afternoon, Otou-sama."

"Hinata-chan. I find you well, I see." He said.

"Yes, Otou-sama. Thank you for your assistance last night." I replied, rising from my bow. His face was a mask, the rigid control of outward emotional expression taught along with walking and refined by a lifetime of practice conspiring to repress any affection or concern in all but the most extreme of circumstances.

His voice was as flat as his face, "It was my duty, both as your father and clan head. Perhaps Kumo will learn the price of their arrogance now their ambassador is dead."

My brain froze as I tried to work out what was going on. 'Of course, in the Manga it looked like Hizashi's sacrifice was immediate but Kumo probably hasn't even heard of the failure yet, let alone made demands.' "Kumo, Otou-sama?"

"Yes, the ambassador was the man who took you last night. The guards informed me you have been quiet today."

"Yes, Otou-sama, I have been practicing. If enemies can reach even here, then the time has come to put away childish things and become a fitting Heir to the clan. I will not be taken so helpless again." I angled to use any guilt he might be feeling to push for quiet acceptance of my new attitude. I didn't expect much opposition, as he had been pushing me increasingly this year, but in this world and clan any change was suspicious.

There was a pause as he seemed to be considering that answer. "Very well, it would be appropriate if at least some good came of this. I expect to see the results of this new determination the next time you have practice with me, is that clear?"

"Yes, Otou-sama. If I might request scrolls on basic chakra theory and use of the Byakugan, it would be helpful."

"They will be brought to you tomorrow. Goodbye, Hinata-chan."

"Goodbye, Otou-sama." I said, bowing low again. I remained low until I heard the door slide closed, rising but keeping my face neutral. I waited until the sound of footsteps came and flashed my Byakugan to check if he had moved away before returning to the bedroom. I would have to practice the maintenance of a calm countenance at all times, unless I could be sure there was no one watching.

Internally I grimaced at the stilted dialogue between me and my father, a drastic change from what I had been used to. There was no help for it though, and I decided not to dwell overlong on it. No doubt I would get used to it over time.

With reluctance, I moved back over to slog through the novel, reading had been one of my greatest pleasures but needing a dictionary to make sense of things made it difficult to enjoy. I silently hoped for swift improvement.

* * *

The next morning I woke early, this body seemingly needing very little sleep. After spending several hours reading the afternoon before, I had returned to practicing with the pieces of paper, this time trying to do the exercise with the Byakugan active and watching the tenketsu and expelled chakra. It took an hour before I was able to consistently maintain both, possibly because it was distracting to keep track of what was going on.

There was a cluster of tenketsu in the palm and a small fountain of chakra was expelled from the centremost ones acting to levitate the paper. What was surprising though, was the previously unnoticed extra chakra coming from the surrounding points and dispelling in the atmosphere. Concentrating, I realised that I could sense this wasted chakra, not just see it and I spent the time until dinner working to reduce the chakra being lost in this fashion. If the wasted chakra could be sensed at range, it would be a major tactical disadvantage on the order of hanging a neon sign shouting 'Here I Am!' By eliminating it I was training my control, reducing the rate I lost chakra and potentially making myself harder to detect, to say nothing of any possible side benefits I might discover later on.

After dinner was an hour of calligraphy practice before retiring. The next day was also spent practicing alone, and I hoped that by tomorrow the security situation would have relaxed enough for me to resume something resembling a normal schedule.

* * *

In the morning I showered, marvelling at the modern convenience beside the traditional bath in this very strict clan, before being informed that I was able to leave the room for training purposes. Currently, I trained mostly with a member of the Branch house five days a week; only meeting with my father on Wednesday, the next session not for two days. I entered the dojo, the guards remaining outside and moved over to my sensei. This was one of the smallest dojos, used only for the Main house children before they advanced to the intermediate levels of the Jūken. The floor, instead of highly polished wood found elsewhere, was a forgiving fabric that was difficult to slip on. He bowed and greeted me,"Good morning Hinata-sama."

"Good morning Hirameki-sensei." I replied, bowing in return. He wore the forehead protector of a Konoha shinobi, the long dark hair so common in the clan falling down the back of a light training uniform. Although the branch house were not required to maintain the ultra-formality of the main house, they were still Hyūga and expected to behave as such, and he had maintained the appropriate cool distance between us the entire time I had known him.

"Before we begin, do you have any injuries I should be aware of?"

"No sensei."

"Very well, assume the first stance."

As I moved my body into the wide stance that was the foundation of Jūken, I put into practice something I had theorised the day before. Channelling chakra through my coils but not expelling it and allowing it to flow back into my core in a loop, the more intense than normal presence ensured that I was forced into awareness of the exact position of every part of my body.

Comparing my stance to the instructors I corrected a tiny error that I had not been aware of previously. His left eyebrow flicked up infinitesimally, the equivalent of a shout of surprise for a Hyūga. "Follow."

As was his habit, he then started to move from stance to stance, stopping only to critique when I made an error or lagged too much. In stark contrast to previous sessions, I was often able to self-correct before he had to say anything, the improved sense of body position greatly assisting me in both flaw identification and memorisation of the correct position. After the third run through, we went through the entire set four times in random order without a mistake before he gave a grunt and straitened up. "Acceptable."

After this high praise he moved over to the target post. It was one of several, a foot-thick column covered in small black circles with numbers above. "Activate and we will begin," he commanded. I activated my Byakugan without handseals and there was a surprised pause then a series of numbers came in a steady voice. To my sight, the post was home to a twisting array of lines surrounding a pool of chakra, from which faint traceries extended to the dots on the exterior.

As each number was called, my palm flashed out, connecting with the pole and injecting a spike of chakra from my hand into the dot. A successful strike caused the dot to glow red for a second, the Fūinjutsu array in the column providing feedback to the trainee. We continued for an hour and my reserves were feeling very low when the command to cease finally came. "Much improvement, though there remains far to go," came the dispassionate assessment.

He motioned and I turned to the breakfast that had been left in an alcove to the side of the dojo, eating steadily as I felt my reserves begin to refill. After a short break he motioned me back to the centre of the dojo and took up the foundation stance facing me. We ran through random stances again at a steady pace for two hours.

I think he was testing my new commitment and endurance because we had already gone far past the point where he would have stopped before as my form fell apart from lack of concentration. I managed to maintain the correct stances this time though and eventually we stopped and he indicated that we would be attempting freeform defence. This was significantly harder, as he would move randomly through the attacking forms against me and I would have to choose what stance to use as a block or diversion and perform the correct transition.

It was also something I had utterly failed at the last time it was attempted. Despite a faulty start, I began to get the hang of it, falling into a sort of calm trance where my body moved automatically and I watched for errors in form. Finally we finished up and he looked at me for a moment, "I will report your progress to Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama. Practice is over for the day."

"Thank you for the gift of your instruction, sensei." I replied, bowing slightly and moving with the escort back to my rooms. When I arrived there was a small collection of books and a scroll on the sitting room table and I carried them to the shelf in my bedroom on my way to the bathroom. I cleaned myself, thankful that at least my rooms were protected from prying eyes by Fūinjutsu, earlier I had discovered that I could see out but no one could see in. After dressing I walked back to scan the book titles. There were two on chakra; one on theory and one on basic control exercises, and a scroll on the Byakugan itself. I picked up 'An Introduction to Chakra Theory' and settled in to read.

* * *

At dinner that night, I mulled over what I had learned today. The enhanced sense of my body position when I actively channelled chakra was a godsend that I badly needed for improving my Taijutsu. The impression I got from the manga was that Hinata had a lot of natural talent but was stifled by uncertainty and her less forceful personality. To secure my position as Heir though, I needed to be not just good but exceptionally gifted when it came to Jūken and our bloodline.

I could have been the greatest Ninjutsu prodigy since The Professor and it would have meant nothing compared to lacklustre performance in the defining art of the clan. Once again I reminded myself that priority had to be given to my Jūken studies and other shinobi arts could only be studied when my position was secure, and likely not for a few years in any case.

Reading the book on chakra had turned out to be something of a hit and miss occupation, as it was written in much more technical language than the novels and my dictionary did not cover many of the terms used, so I had great difficulty making sense of it. I had already asked permission to visit the Branch house library tomorrow to see if I could find a more advanced dictionary and to get a general idea of the contents.

After dinner I went back to what had occupied my attention for much of the afternoon, working with my bloodline and chakra control. I didn't want to make any attempt at the tree climbing exercise until I could reliably expel chakra from any of the tenketsu on my hand at an instants notice, with only minimal leakage from the surrounding points. It would be an advantage for the Jūken and eventually I wanted to be able to use every tenketsu in that fashion, although that would probably take years as the hands were the easiest part of the body to expel chakra from and it was difficult enough even then.

I knew it was possible for Neji to do it in his fight with Kidomaru but it took time and so was not applicable to a Taijutsu spar. If I could do it with the same proficiency as the hand tenketsu were used during normal Jūken, any body contact with me would be very dangerous to my opponent; not to mention the normal way for non-Hyūga to fight our style with unarmed Taijutsu revolved around avoiding the hands by blocking the arms, which would be rendered totally ineffective.

I had considered making a fitness training plan but after consideration it just wasn't practical at my age. A four year old wasn't supposed to carry around a great weight of muscle and I was already getting significant exercise from my daily Taijutsu practice. Any more might damage my body or growth.

By the time I stopped for the night I could use all the tenketsu in my palm with only small amounts of leakage and had fast response through the ones in the tips of my index and middle fingers with significant leakage along the finger. I had at least been able to use every tenketsu in my hand, but with a delay for the other ones and I sometimes selected the wrong point.

* * *

Training the next morning was a repeat of the day before, though we spent twice as long on the training post, sensei working on my speed and accuracy by slowly increasing the pace. The freeform sparring was much the same although I was quickly able to find the right state of mind.

Accompanying my guards to the archive, I wandered inside with one following me. The technical dictionary was just inside the door with a large section on general interest topics like history and economics. Moving further in, there were several shelves with chakra theory and control exercises, which made sense for a clan like the Hyūga. Behind that though, was the surprise. Long shelves of elemental Ninjutsu from each of the five major elements marched into the darkness at the back of the archive, not what I had expected to see at all. Something must have shown on my face, because the guard cleared his throat and said, "The Main house does not usually learn elemental jutsu, Hinata-sama."

I nodded in fake comprehension while my mind raced. Suddenly it became clear – I was basing my view of the Branch house on Neji as he was in the manga, someone who was an acknowledged prodigy with techniques that belonged to the Main house. Without access to the Hakkeshō Kaiten and other such restricted techniques, the Branch house members would be considerably more vulnerable. A selection of elemental jutsu would do nicely to offset this problem. Keeping my face blank I turned back towards the entrance with a feeling of triumph.

Here was a resource that I could tap when I was ready to start learning elemental Ninjutsu and I hadn't seen any sign of other languages so I could start using an English journal to plan my training, without mentioning anything incriminating in case someone could actually read it.

In my room I placed the dictionary with the chakra books and gathered two blank journals. One would have plans for future training while the other would contain things I had already figured out. Taking a moment to organise my thoughts I recorded my experiments with the chakra behind the retina from two days ago. A few short notes served to detail what I had so far found to work best with chakra control and I turned to the planning journal.

After sectioning off two large areas to the front for the Byakugan and Jūken respectively, I put headings for chakra control, elemental manipulation, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Kunai and Shuriken, Ninja Tools (wire etc.), Kenjutsu and finally Fūinjutsu. I was well aware that I would not even start on most of these for years and depending on my natural talents it might take decades for me to achieve proficiency in all of them.

Chakra control I was already working on and I hoped to include elemental manipulation to that as an ongoing, daily exercise. Ninjutsu would wait until the academy although if I could find out the handseals for the basic three I was not adverse to practice. Genjutsu and tool use would also wait until the latter years of the academy and I hoped to start practice with Kunai and Shuriken no later than six months to a year from now. I should have about two years until the academy began so I would have enough time to practice those before getting there, without taking too much time from my other training.

Kenjutsu was not restricted to a sword, I simply wanted proficiency with some sort of standoff weapon if there was an enemy it was too dangerous to get close to like Hoshigaki Kisame carrying Samehada, and would wait until I was at least ten and had a larger frame. That would also be a long-term project as it would probably take years to be able to use a long weapon in combat.

Fūinjutsu was the art I was most interested in but it was too dangerous to do more than study theory until I had both privacy and the use of at a Kage Bunshin to experiment with the practical application, so that also would wait for near the end of the academy. An hour later I relaxed and closed the book, reminding myself to continually update it as training ideas that I was not ready to try occurred to me.

Moving back to the book of chakra theory, I opened it beside the technical dictionary and began to struggle through it. As I worked, I simultaneously was grateful that I seemed to be immune to eyestrain and cursed my limited reading comprehension, although it was still far better than a four year old had a right to expect. Most of it was information that I already knew, such as chakra being composed of a mix of spiritual and physical energies.

There was some interesting stuff though, like the primary focus or purpose of each handseal with notes about some of the more common ways that purpose was modified in combination with others, and I made sure to copy the important parts down. It appeared that the handseals provided the rough shape of the chakra construct that made up the Jutsu but considerable manual moulding and focus was still required from the user.

There was a note in the margin that most shinobi accomplished this by mentally envisioning details of the end result and unconsciously opened and closed different tenketsu on the hands while forming the seals as a consequence. Apparently there was a debate in a more advanced tome as to how this was possible when the shinobi in question had no conscious control over individual tenketsu and indeed no awareness of what was actually happening.

On reading this I wondered if my ability to both see and control the tenketsu in my hands would help or hinder me with jutsu. With my luck it would turn out that the unconscious manipulation wouldn't work for someone with the control I planned to have and I would end up taking three times as long to work out the mechanics as everyone else.

Tiring of the note-taking, I moved back to the bed and lay down. I felt the need to take a break from mental effort and the time until lunch seemed a good space to do so. I reclined on my back and closed my eyes, allowing the flow of chakra through my coils to hold my attention. I didn't attempt any manipulation, simply letting my awareness drift with the flow. I resolved to try to do this at least once a day for a short period, as the better I knew my own system, the more likely I was to notice the subtle disruptions from a Genjutsu, or so I hoped.

In the afternoon I worked on control of the hand tenketsu again, using the Byakugan to monitor my progress. Each time when my reserves grew low, I practiced calligraphy or meditated until I was ready to start again. The meeting with my father tomorrow was weighing on my mind, and I went to bed immediately after dinner, hoping that being well-rested would help.

* * *

It was with no small trepidation that I forced myself to focus the next morning as I approached the dojo reserved for the head of the clan. Once inside I knelt, alone in the centre of the floor. A mat had already been placed down to prevent me from slipping and I speculated that from the intermediate level, the Jūken must incorporate the use of chakra to maintain footing, explaining the polished floors in most of the clan dojo. My guards did not come in, the walls here a seemingly impenetrable barrier to the Byakugan from outside. Ten minutes passed, the only sound my heartbeat thudding in my ears. There were faint sounds of sliding wood, then my father entered my field of view. I sank down into a low bow, "Good morning, Otou-sama." I breathed.

"Hinata-chan. I have had encouraging reports of your progress over the last two days. Impress me." Hiashi replied, falling into a stance in front of me.

I fluidly rose, matching his stance, forcing a slow exhale as I did so. Seallessly I activated my dōjutsu and moved chakra through my coils, ready to begin. Hard faced, he glided forward, attacking with a common form slightly faster than Hirameki-sensei. I let my body move in response, diverting the attack to the side. Seamlessly he flowed from form to form and I held tightly onto calm as attacks were blocked and parried.

Slowly, almost unnoticeably, the speed increased and my heart began to beat faster. As we continued I began to feel a mounting sense of desperation, as though I was barely holding on. For several minutes the speed stayed constant, always feeling that the slightest slip would finish me. A build-up of chakra in his arm coils drew my attention, and for a moment I stared in blank incomprehension.

Sudden fear came with understanding of the threat and I registered a faint sense of gratitude in the back of my mind for the hours of practice with the pieces of paper. As my hand came up to block I channelled chakra, just in time for our palms to meet in a flare of expelled energy.

The forms continued, now with the most basic of Jūken attacks added and my concentration started to slip, not up to the challenge of handling both. At first just a foot one centimetre out of position, then a shoulder too low, forcing my arm to block faster. Mistakes built on mistakes, and it reached culmination as with desperation I saw a palm moving toward my shoulder and knew I wouldn't reach it in time.

My arm crossed my body, trying, and in a panic I used fingertips to strike the glowing dot just ahead of the pulse of chakra travelling down his arm. In a blur too fast to comprehend his other hand struck out twice, impacting my shoulders before my arms dropped limply to my side. With a frown he stepped back, a finger coming up to tap and re-open the closed tenketsu in his arm. "That was deliberate. You can see the tenketsu?" Came the stern inquiry.

"Yes, Otou-sama." I gasped, "For four days now."

"Very well. I have seen some improvement. Continue work with Hirameki-san and I will increase the pace of your studies. Your shoulders will recover in an hour, you may leave."

"Goodbye, Otou-sama." I said, bowing.

The walk back to my room was uncomfortable; my arms dangling like dead things. The guards had to handle the doors for me and I flopped down gracelessly in the bedroom. Despite showing no signs, I believed my father had been sufficiently shocked by my performance that he acted without thinking to re-open his tenketsu. Granted proof that it was possible, at least from outside, I set about trying to duplicate the feat using internal control.

With the Byakugan it was easy to see the problem, a mass of stationary foreign chakra plugging my coils. I moved a piece from my Hara to the blockage, pushing against it then quickly stopping as a stabbing pain seemed to shoot down my arm. I backed off, trying to think of another strategy. After a minute, I narrowed my chakra to a fine point, prodding at the obstruction. It started to penetrate, causing the block to bulge and my coil with it. I stopped and considered the problem; I needed to get the obstruction out without direct force or pushing it into the coil wall.

In the end, a drill shape seemed the best possibility, though this was easier said than done. After almost half an hour of failed manipulation I managed to form a rough drill for long enough to get through and the block dissolved into my coil. I was about to start on the other arm when a gaping feeling of emptiness drew my attention to my reserves, the lowest I had ever seen. I deactivated my bloodline and leaned forward with a groan. Making my way to the sitting room I began to eagerly consume the breakfast set out with my working hand.

Now that I didn't have the struggle to open my tenketsu to occupy my mind, the results of the spar drew my thoughts like a loadstone. While I could take comfort that father acknowledged my progress, any illusions I had about swift mastery of the Jūken had been brutally dispelled. No matter how advanced my chakra control or perceptive my sight, there was no substitute for experience in combat.

I needed years of practice and sparring to allow me to keep my cool when pressed. Even then, my opponents would likely always have the strength and reach advantage – I needed skill and speed to compensate. At the moment there was little to be done in that area that I was not already doing but I resolved to gradually introduce an ever-growing emphasis on speed to my fighting as the years progressed.

Finishing the meal I sighed and sat back, waiting for the numbness to wear off in the other arm. While I had proved that I could re-open a blocked tenketsu, it was in no way a combat ready technique, needing half an hour and complete silence is a difficult thing to find in a battle. Vaguely I wondered why his strike had disabled not just my chakra coils but the ability to move my arms entirely then gave it up as a problem for later.

I spent the rest of the day reading and practicing calligraphy, not wanting to put stress on my system after the events of the morning. The drill technique was copied into my journal and a note to work on shape manipulation within my coils made in the other. Thinking over my progress to date as I lay in bed that night, I was cautiously optimistic about my planned path, hoping that I would be able to overcome the obstacles that faced me. All the while, the looming spectre of Kumo's response hung over my thoughts for the future.

**Author's Note:** I've been trying to write a Harry Potter story for about a year, have about fifty pages of background material, timeline/event planning and a ton of technical ideas for world building in an AU setting. It's not a Self-Insert or in first person, neither of which I usually like. I've gotten about 300 words of the actual story written in twelve months and then I had an idea and wrote this in a week. Extremely frustrating, but since I've started I'll finish this and then hopefully the other will start to flow.

Hinata in this story is basically the same as canon up until the abduction, where the SI occurs. This gives three advantages from which all the following divergence springs.

The first is that an adult mind is more capable than a child – can concentrate longer, understand better and handle trauma with the benefit of experience.

The second is that decades of experience in a body with no chakra system is a great contrast to one that has felt the presence of chakra from birth, even if subconsciously. This has the effect of making the protagonist hyper-aware of the presence of internal chakra and the sense of its interactions.

The third is the mind in the self-insert belongs to an avid fanfiction reader who has consequently a large number of ideas to try but confusion over what version of events to believe – there are fanfiction worlds that would be very unpleasant to visit! The result gives the conditions needed to excel, Hinata has the resources of a Clan Heir that she was psychologically unable to take advantage of in canon with the uncomfortable knowledge that bad things are probably coming and being unable to flee.

Edit: 17 Feb 11 - Fixed wall-of-text issue.

Edit: 04 Feb 11 – Added some description of environment, fixed timeline issues.

Criticism is welcome; please provide examples and/or how to fix the problem if you can. Flame anonymously if you want, you couldn't crush my ego with a hydro-vice.


	2. Hizashi's Shadow

**Disclaimer: This is a non-profit work of fiction and all copyrights to the Naruto manga and anime are retained by their original owners.**

**Last Time:** _I spent the rest of the day reading and practicing calligraphy, not wanting to put stress on my system after the events of the morning. The drill technique was copied into my journal and a note to work on shape manipulation within my coils made in the other. Thinking over my progress to date as I lay in bed that night, I was cautiously optimistic about my planned path, hoping that I would be able to overcome the obstacles that faced me. All the while, the looming spectre of Kumo's response hung over my thoughts for the future._

**Chapter One – Hizashi's Shadow**

The next few days followed a similar pattern, Jūken practice in the morning with the rest of the day mostly free for me to decide how to spend my time. A tutor visited briefly to assess my progress at reading and calligraphy, suggesting that if I kept up the same rate of study, I might start lessons on the clan history in a few months. Apparently the clan allowed the Academy to bear the brunt of the educational burden, only supplementing areas where the tuition was inadequate or failed to cover.

I used the opportunity to continue work on my control and reserves, striving for instant response from any hand tenketsu with no leakage. I also started to incorporate sticking the paper to my hand not merely floating it. I managed to make that work in a couple of ways – enveloping the paper in a thin shell or imagining the point of chakra in contact having a 'sticky' feel. Keeping the Byakugan active helped in both getting used to the perspective and draining chakra.

When my reserves were nearly empty I took a break to study theory and practice reading and calligraphy. The snacks I had asked to have sent with my meals helped to replenish my energy and I was gaining an understanding of how to measure my current reserves. It seemed that until the chakra in my Hara fell below a certain density, the size remained the same.

At the moment, when I was fully rested, the density felt about equal to water at a couple of metres depth. When it fell to the density of air at about 5000m altitude, the size started to shrink, as if that concentration was a hard limit. Idly, I wondered what the Hokage's reserves felt like, probably stone or steel.

The constant draining and refilling, in combination with the physical exercise in the morning and the theoretical studies during the day, had a noticeable effect. In the week that I had been here, I had about doubled my original chakra capacity, although that wasn't saying much compared to the adult members of the clan. I still didn't have any way to compare my capacity to the average academy student, and wouldn't until I started the wall-climbing exercise, hopefully sometime in the next week.

My reading comprehension was also noticeably better, as were the form and speed of the brush-strokes for calligraphy. There was still a long way to go though, judging from the example the tutor provided.

I had resolved not to experiment further with the Byakugan until I finished the book, 'Chakra Theory for Beginners' and the scroll on the basic functions of our bloodline, as the risks associated with an error were simply too great.

The next day was Sunday and I had a break from my mandatory Jūken training. Initially I was going to keep to a harsh training schedule on my own, but common sense staged a rebellion and intervened on behalf of my sanity. If I didn't take some time to decompress occasionally, I'd wind up having a breakdown of some sort.

I still did stretches in the morning, but limited it to slow movements as a kind of physical meditation. I read some more fictional Kunoichi adventures, using chakra to hold the book and grasp the pages for turning. After all, I could still incorporate training into leisure activities as long as it didn't interfere. I resolved to keep an eye out for everyday uses of the control exercises as I learned new ones in the future. If I made a point of including chakra exercises and general training into every aspect of my life, it would soon become automatic and I would unconsciously benefit.

From memory, Hinata had a hobby of flower pressing to remember important events, but I didn't feel like doing anything like that today. It was hard to fully relax though, as there was a niggling at the back of my mind, as though I was forgetting something important. In the end I dismissed it and did my best to forget the realities of my situation for a day.

* * *

It was three nights later that I was awakened by the harsh tones of a muffled argument passing the door to my quarters. I could pick out snatches of conversation, "Kumo's demands are" and "unacceptable weakness" rising and falling as they receded into the distance. For a second I activated my dōjutsu, seeing my father and the Hyūga elders on their way to the council room.

With a feeling of trepidation, I relaxed and lay down, staring up into the darkened ceiling above. Kumo's response to the death of their ambassador had arrived. It had always mystified me just how they were able to make such a demand. Konoha and the Hyūga Clan were clearly the wronged party – the ambassador was caught red handed abducting a young child! Why Konoha would accede to their demands; was it just lack of political will, the damage from the Kyuubi attack and the possibility of a Fourth Great Shinobi War or a combination of both? Whatever the reason, it was about to cost me my uncle and Neji his father.

My mind raced around the same worn little path like a rat in a cage, trying to find a way to save Hizashi for the thousandth time that week. In the end, as I had every time before, I concluded there was nothing to be done. I didn't know the circumstances and the background reasons that Konoha had to comply. There was no choice but to trust that those in charge knew what they were doing. I had considered trying to come forth with my knowledge of a possible future, but fear stayed my tongue.

I could see two possibilities if I came forward, the first being that they didn't believe me and thought I'd had a breakdown after the abduction. I would be lucky not to be slated for the Branch house and then confinement after that. Unpleasant as that prospect was, it was the better of the two options in many ways.

If I was believed, then I was the being that had come from elsewhere and possessed the body of the Heir of one of the most prestigious and valuable clans in the village. Oh, I'm sure they'd be pleasant until they wrung everything they could willingly get from me, but after that, well... There were Fūinjutsu that affected the soul, a dedicated department for torture, who knows what they'd do. I could try to hold back information in exchange for guarantees of freedom, but I had no confidence in my ability to remain silent under interrogation, let alone the Yamanaka techniques. In any case, an agreement with ninja was unlikely to be worth the paper it was written on, so that was out.

Finally, I couldn't even be sure that my information was accurate – I might tell them about the loyal Itachi slaughtering his traitorous clan at the orders of the village elders, only to find out later that in this universe, the Uchiha were loyal and Itachi was simply a psychopath. No, it was better to keep quiet and work from the shadows, stay off the radar of the big threats as much as possible while gaining strength.

I would present a facade of the perfect Hyūga Heir, cold and disciplined, confident in the superiority of the Jūken above all else. Hidden behind that would be my slowly growing proficiency at all other forms of ninja techniques, their lack a false weakness that anyone who tried to take advantage of would receive as a fatal surprise. If I could build a reputation as a Taijutsu monster with no other significant skills in my arsenal, it would provide an immense tactical advantage against anyone preparing themselves to fight me, assuming they were strong enough that I couldn't take them with the Jūken.

If Naruto was similar to canon, I would have to find a way to help him without drawing public notice. It could wait until I could observe him at the Academy though, he was probably safe enough at the orphanage at the moment and I could do nothing until I had more freedom in any case. Sasuke I would watch, but I couldn't see any way to help him at the moment. Before the massacre there was supposed to be tension between the clans, and after I doubted that he would accept any help without the intervention of a therapist.

As for the other members of the rookie nine, a wait and see attitude seemed best there as well. Perhaps a few pointed questions to Shikamaru about how he would deal with the loss of a teammate, maybe tell Ino and Sakura that Sasuke had been overheard stating that he only respected ninja skill, not looks? It was something for future consideration, not immediate action regardless.

* * *

The next morning I woke at the usual time, unsure if I should prepare for my lesson with father. Questioning the guards, I was informed that he would be speaking to me in the larger, formal dojo. A quick breakfast followed, and I made my way to the meeting, lost in thought. The large dojo was usually used only for exhibitions of skill and formal assessment before the clan of ranking members, such as the ascension of the new clan head. I shook myself back to the here and now, entering the room without my escorts and moving over the polished wooden floor to kneel before my father on the tatami mat placed there.

"Hinata, there have been developments with regard to your abduction that you need to be aware of." Hiashi said.

"Yes, Otou-sama." I replied humbly.

"Kumo has demanded recompense for the death of their ambassador, as if they were the wronged party. Unfortunately, our strength is at low ebb due to events over the last decade, and the Village Council has decided that war would be a significant risk, although one they are prepared to risk if necessary. Kumo has demanded my body, and I was minded to make a sacrifice to prevent a conflict we could ill afford. However, it was felt by the clan elders that the risk of allowing a Main branch member to be studied is too great, and Hizashi has volunteered to die in my place." The words were delivered coldly, but I could hear suppressed emotion beneath, a testament to extreme distress in one usually so controlled.

"There is no pressure that we can apply for them to accept a monetary settlement?" I questioned, both wanting the information and using the opportunity to display an attempt at political thinking. I felt dirty doing so, but I was under constant scrutiny for the attributes expected of the Heir, never more so than in times of stress.

"No, this comes at a particularly poor time for us – our military strength is low, theirs is high and the economic ties between us remain disrupted from the war, so we have little recourse. It is possible that they are bluffing and would back down on a refusal, but I feel we cannot risk it. If it came to war, hundreds of shinobi and possibly thousands of civilians would die even if we could force a return to the status quo, the best outcome we could hope for. It is the duty of a Shinobi and a Hyūga to give their lives for the benefit of Konoha if called upon to do so; Hizashi is both."

"Yes, Otou-sama. May I see Hizashi Oji-san to express my thanks for his sacrifice, and your life?" I put the question forward tentatively. My earlier questions about the reason for compliance with Kumo had been answered; it was not a demand from the council but a voluntary sacrifice by the clan for the good of the village and my opinion of my father was raised enormously.

There was a moment of silence, then "Yes, that would be appropriate. Wait in the receiving room by my quarters, I will let him know you wish to see him."

"Thank you, Otou-sama." His eyes narrowed, and I could see the fine trembling at the corners of his mouth.

"There is something you must keep in mind from this day forth, Hinata. Hizashi will die to spare my life, but my life was endangered by protecting you and in service to the village. This is one of the heaviest burdens of leadership; that others will die so that you might live. You have shown improvement this week, as is appropriate for your position. As you strive to better yourself, remember that you must show you are worthy of such sacrifice, or the lives of those like your uncle will have been wasted. You are dismissed." He turned away, moving from the room.

I knelt there in shock. If that was the speech I had received after partially redeeming myself over the past week, what would he have said to Hinata originally? Combine the trauma of her mother's death, the abduction and now the death of Hizashi with a speech like that and had I actually been almost four it would have been shattering.

Follow that with a few years of Hiashi unable to properly express encouragement and the ever mounting weight of his expectations, it was easy to see where the stuttering wreck of a stalker came from. Although there was enough of Hinata's original personality in me that I was strongly affected by the events, I could use them as further motivation to improve, instead of buckling under the weight.

I made my way to the receiving room, a low table dominating the centre and surrounded by mats, settling in to wait. It was a couple of hours later that Hizashi entered, dark bags under his eyes attesting to his tiredness. "You wanted to speak with me, Hinata-sama?"

I oriented myself to face him, then bowed low. "Yes, Hizashi Oji-sama. I wish to express my deepest gratitude for the sacrifice you are about to make, both as the Heir on behalf of the clan, and for myself as a daughter for my father's life." The speech came out stilted and formal, but I had no choice in what I said or ability to do better.

He observed me silently for a moment before sighing heavily. "Hinata-chan, know that I do this of my own choice, to save the life of the only brother I have ever known. I do not regret my actions, but I would ask you to become a Clan Head that I could respect, and for you to do what you can for Neji-kun. I fear he has not taken my decision well, and had to be sedated. I do not wish for this one incident to define the rest of his life." Came the quiet reply.

"I promise, Oji-sama. I will do what I can to fulfil both requests."

"Then thank you, Hinata-chan, I can ask no more. Goodbye."

I used all my willpower to stifle a sob, "Goodbye, Oji."

He smiled slightly, then turned and left the room. I would not again see him alive.

* * *

The funeral was a quiet affair, attended only by the clan and Hokage. Visually, he looked remarkably like he did in the manga, a quiet, soft spoken old man with a white goatee and piercing eyes. What the pages had utterly failed to capture though, was the sense of presence that followed him like a cloud, just at the edge of perception. It was nothing overt, but standing near and stretching my senses I felt like a tiny forager in the company of great tiger, allowed to live only at his whim. Even when he turned and smiled down at me, projecting warmth, I couldn't fully relax. Idly, I wondered if the others could feel it, or if it was a consequence of my more sensitive awareness of chakra.

Throughout the funeral, Neji's eyes bored into me and my father, like augers probing for weakness. I had a brief, abortive conversation with him beforehand but it was quickly obvious that the beginnings of his 'fate' attitude and dislike for me were already well entrenched. With a mental sigh I added another problem to my list of things to watch and solve later, when I could find a way. He probably wouldn't listen to me before I could convincingly beat him, if then, and that was at least a year or two away in the best case. I would probably try to reach out again in a week or two, perhaps having more success after he'd calmed down a bit. I didn't hold out much hope, but my promise to Hizashi-oji was too important to overlook any chance.

* * *

In the days following the funeral, a quiet and sombre mood fell over the clan, and I moved back to my routine of Jūken in the mornings and self-directed study for the rest of the day. At times I wondered that there was not more supervision of my time, but a comment from my reading tutor explained the reasons for me. It seemed the freedom was a test – some personal time was acceptable but I was being judged on my ability to motivate myself, to set goals and after reaching them, set new ones instead of being content with a certain level of skill.

Apparently my earlier decision to seek continuous improvement was less a free decision and more something of a required trait. It was somewhat troubling, especially as I had never been outstandingly motivated before, but on reflection the pressure might help me stick to my plans. I recalled reading several years before about the plasticity of the human brain, that the more you do a task or routine, the more the brain will reconfigure your neural pathways to assist. Hopefully as I trained longer and harder, the routine would engrave itself on my brain so I wanted to train more.

In the Jūken sessions, we were concentrating on the freeform sparring and pole drills, my basic stances having been deemed adequate. I had returned to the archive to pick up a general book on Taijutsu written by a clan member. Apparently most other high-level styles were organised into Kata, a rigid series of stances where the practitioner chose and performed the appropriate move set for the situation, whether defence or attack. Some of them had hundreds of such move groupings, with more added as masters of the style put together moves that they felt corresponded with the base principles of the style.

Jūken, by contrast, had no Kata at all. There were an enormous collection of stances, from basic ones intended for use against a single enemy to the front to advanced stances dealing with blocks and strikes at any angle and against armed opponents. Each stance was in balance, the difficult part was the transitions between. As there was a need to attack or defend, the best stance was chosen and used, and theoretically one could move from one stance to any other.

An advanced practitioner should be able to adapt the transitions and stances on the fly, making the style hugely flexible. It required learning from an early age though, both because of the large number of stances and because many needed extreme flexibility and speed to use effectively. With other styles, once a Kata was selected, the mind could rest to a degree as the movements that had become muscle memory were performed. In Jūken, every movement was chosen the moment before it began in response to changing stimuli, increasing the mental burden in exchange for quicker response.

After my spar with father, the pole with numbers had began to rotate at varying speeds, considerably increasing the difficulty. Hirameki-sensei was pleased at my progress though, and started pushing me more in sparring to build up my mental fortitude against difficult opponents.

* * *

A few days after Hizashi's funeral, the nagging sense of something missing became difficult to ignore, and I sat down to try and work out the cause. Going through my activities over the last few weeks, I compared them to Hinata's routine from before the abduction. Suddenly, the glaring discrepancy hit me. Aside from morning practice which used to only take an hour before I lost concentration and a small bit of time set aside for tutors every second day, I used to spend most of my time with Hanabi. I hadn't gone to see her at all!

Restraining the urge to run to her immediately, I forced myself to think and plan my actions. Cutting all contact was possible but undesired; the emotions inherited with Hinata's personality cried out against abandoning the only reminder of her mother, but maintaining the same level of interaction was impossible. I used to spend nearly every waking moment with Hanabi – no wonder I hadn't been making much progress with my chakra or Jūken. There was a dedicated nurse that took care of her, so I didn't have to worry about that.

I mulled it over for a while, reluctantly deciding that an hour in the evenings was as much time as I could spare – it might even be good for me to have a regular break, something to look forward to each day that didn't involve training. Perhaps I could read to her before bed, get some practice at reading at the same time. I ran my mind back over that last thought and groaned; already the habit of constant training was starting to take hold. In some ways it was scary and depressing, but it was what I was aiming for; I needed habits like that to achieve my goal of strength enough to live without fear of any opponent.

It was nearing night now, and I made my way to the nursery, collecting the guards as I went. I opened the door to see a chubby little body trying to stay in a sitting position. She saw me and eyes wide, toppled backwards with a gurgle, arms up and waving at the ceiling. I moved forwards and scooped her up, ignoring the fingers trying to wrap around my nose. "Hello Hanabi-chan, Nee-chan is sorry for forgetting about you." I said.

She replied in a set of gurgles and I smiled and did my best to look interested in whatever vitally important message she had to relate. There was a gasp from the inner room, "Hinata-sama, you haven't been back for a while. Aren't you busy with training?"

I looked at the nurse, an older member of the Branch house, and considered her words and tone. Strangely, there was disapproval in both parts of what she said; for not seeing Hanabi since the abduction and for being here now. Briefly, I was puzzled by the seeming contradiction, then it hit me. There had always been a suppressed sense of worry from her when I spent all day here, and she would often work questions in about how my training was going.

She had been aware of the test for the Heir in allowing free time, a test I had been failing. She was both happy I had remembered Hanabi and worried I was abandoning my training. I smiled reassuringly, "Yes, Shigure-san, I was caught up after the abduction and I have decided to take my training more seriously. Unfortunately, this means that I will only be able to see Hanabi-chan for an hour in the evenings at most for the foreseeable future. Thank you for taking such good care of my sister." I said with a shallow bow.

"Oh, no thanks are necessary, it is my pleasure. I am glad we won't disturb your progress though." Came the relieved reply. Shigure had always been concerned about me, often responsible for looking after me when my mother was sick, and I had many memories of her soft voice and gentle hands comforting me when I went to her with some difficulty.

I spent the next forty minutes playing with Hanabi, resolving as I walked back to my room to bring a book next time. Perhaps Hanabi would enjoy hearing about the adventures of the Heaven Kunoichi?

* * *

In the afternoons, I managed to push through the rest of the chakra theory book and started on the scroll containing basic information on the Byakugan. The book had almost nothing on seals but referenced a different work after giving a brief overview of using chakra internally for reinforcement and augmentation. I made a note to grab the book 'Iron Body' if I could find it in the Branch archive. Apparently chakra reinforcement and strength enhancement were done by all shinobi unconsciously to a low degree but those with good control could get significantly better results. Using chakra to increase speed outside of formal jutsu like the Shunshin was possible but the domain of Taijutsu specialists mainly, for reasons the Chakra Theory book didn't cover.

The scroll on the Byakugan served mainly to confirm what I had already suspected; most Hyūga settled for the level of vision they received when they first activated their bloodline. The range was said to increase with age and could be increased briefly by some by channelling a little extra chakra, and a few people developed the ability to see the tenketsu, but that was all. Certainly, the discoveries I had already made with regard to the thickness and feel of the disk behind the retina were not listed in the scroll. It made sense though, without my sensitivity to chakra, I wouldn't be able to make the fine adjustments needed either.

The second part of the scroll was more disheartening, as the description of using the telescope function was along the lines of "Pick the direction of interest and visualise your point of view extending into the distance, while concentrating chakra to the eyes." Here was the disadvantage to my internal control; obviously when other Hyūga visualised a telescope, their chakra acted unconsciously to produce that effect. I however, kept control regardless of what I visualised, so I'd have to figure out what was actually happening and reproduce it.

The easy way would be to ask someone to demonstrate a few times while I watched with the highest sensitivity possible, but there were a few problems with that. The first was that I didn't want anyone to know that I could see in such detail, although I couldn't see any tactical use now that didn't mean there wouldn't be one in the future. The second was that I needed to be seen as someone who was as independent as possible, figuring things out on my own and pushing the boundaries, which would help me later when I needed to act on my own.

Two hours later I relaxed with a sigh, finally having figured it out. After many false starts, I hit on the idea of reducing the size of the disk to a point while concentrating chakra in the line just before the retina. That activated the telescope though it took a further forty minutes to work out how to aim it. By playing around, I found I could increase the range or detail of the telescope in much the same way as the all-around vision, although the detail only went to the point of showing faint tenketsu.

I had also managed to get to the point of quick response for every tenketsu in the hands for both the floating and sticking exercise with no chakra lost through surrounding points, though still needing to work on speed. I decided to let the pole sessions during morning Jūken take care of increasing chakra response speed in the hands while I worked up to the wall-walking exercise.

I could have just started but I wanted to ensure the habit of the best possible control was embodied in everything I did, and running at a wall and blowing chakra out the base of my feet was the antithesis of that. I started over again with the paper exercise, trying for control of the individual tenketsu in the sole of my feet. Immediately, I knew what Kakashi had meant about the feet being the hardest place to project chakra from, it was an order of magnitude more difficult than through my hands.

Nevertheless I persevered, the experience from doing the same exercise with my hands helping immensely. When I stopped for the night, I estimated that I would be ready to make my first attempt at wall walking in perhaps ten days and that my chakra supply had doubled again over the last week. Before that though, I had another spar with my father tomorrow morning.

* * *

I hit the floor with a grunt, flopping onto my side as my limbs failed to answer my commands. With an effort, I raised my head and looked at my father's stern face. His voice came, harsh and unforgiving. "Remember Hinata-chan, the foundations of Jūken are speed, accuracy, flexibility and the Byakugan. Your vision is good, your accuracy and flexibility verge on acceptable but you must increase your speed!"

"Yes, Otou-sama." Really, that was the same refrain or variation thereof I heard several times today as we sparred. If I wasn't aware from the sessions with Hirameki-sensei that I was showing slow but definite progress in that area, I'd think I wasn't improving at all. Every time, my father started off a touch faster than the last, was a hair more aggressive. Intellectually I knew that if he had fought me on the first session after the merge as he did today, I wouldn't have lasted two heartbeats. Emotionally, it required significant strength of will to continue after being brutally crushed every time I faced him.

Hiashi turned to leave, "When you are able to leave, you may return to your room."

I acknowledged the command and lay motionless until he left, reminding myself to stop by the archive on my way to my rooms. Taking the opportunity given, I set to work on unblocking my coils. The two weeks of work on my chakra control paid off, and I was able to remove the first of four blocks in about seven minutes. Clearing the rest within half an hour, I lay there and meditated on the flow of my chakra until a little over an hour had passed. There was no point advertising I could clear a blocked coil after all.

Later, I relaxed in my bedroom after breakfast and opened the book 'Iron Body' to see what the basics of physical enhancement were. It seemed that all shinobi ran a certain amount of chakra through their skin, muscles and organs unconsciously and this acted to reinforce them against damage to a degree. Using too much chakra though was damaging long term, and the safe amount increased slowly over time. If a shinobi knew about an impact beforehand, they could briefly surge chakra to the affected area, the shorter duration allowing for greater reinforcement without damage. With experience, ninja unconsciously used this ability when needed, such as jumping from heights or in combat.

Strength and speed enhancement were far more difficult. Strength required pushing chakra into the muscle groups being used and holding it there as the muscle worked, while simultaneously reinforcing the skeleton to cope with the stress. Too much chakra would destroy the muscles, leading to crippling injuries if a medic-nin didn't begin treatment almost immediately. Lacking exacting sense of what their internal chakra was doing, most shinobi found a level they were comfortable with, slowly increasing it over the years while making sure it stayed below the danger point. Similar to reinforcement, even moderately skilled Genin were many times the strength of a civilian, but only those with a focus on Taijutsu practiced intentional, systematic reinforcement. Generally speaking, most experienced Chūnin used strength enhancement, with all Jōnin being at least moderately skilled.

Speed enhancement was generally the domain of High Jōnin in its lower forms and Taijutsu masters for the upper reaches of the skill. The book was sketchy about the details, but it said that unlike strength enhancement, the chakra surge happened only at the instant of muscle contraction or expansion. It also varied in magnitude depending on both the mass of the muscle and how fast it needed to contract.

For example, to perform a bicep curl with strength enhancement, chakra would be pushed to the muscles in the arm while more was used to strengthen the bones, and then the curl would be performed, releasing the chakra afterwards. By contrast, for speed enhancement at the moment the curl began, chakra would be pulsed to the individual muscle groups comprising the bicep and forearm muscles, the amount calculated depending on the mass of muscle and the speed required. Chakra would also have to be sent to the opposing muscle groups at the same time to speed relaxation or they would be ripped apart.

All this, and the bones must be reinforced at the same time. It was little wonder that speed enhancement was less popular, when you considered the dozens of different sized muscle groups used even in simple locomotion and then compared that to the contortions required in a fight. To perform it unconsciously as required in combat would take years of effort. Most would be satisfied with simply training their muscles for whatever speed increase they required, already starting out faster than non-ninja thanks to chakra and its presence allowing them to get a lot more return for effort in training.

Unfortunately, I was already at a significant strength and reach disadvantage, and barring a technique like Tsunade's super-strength, I always would be. I needed the absolute maximum speed possible to counter that or I would always struggle in Taijutsu against almost everyone even close to me in skill. It would always be the focus of my muscle training, along with flexibility, but I would have to master strength enhancement as well.

I had an advantage in that I could start when most couldn't even comprehend the instructions and with my ability to sense chakra, but it would still be a long, slow process. If I began after I learnt tree and water walking, working my way up from using the smallest trickle of chakra possible, when I graduated the Academy in eight years I would hopefully have the beginning and perhaps middle levels of the technique mastered.

* * *

I continued to push myself for the rest of the week, taking several hours on Sunday to be with Hanabi and play with her, surprisingly finding her little tantrum when she couldn't get the blocks into the right holes adorably cute. It was with some regret and a lot of relief that I turned her back over to the maid that night; I may have underestimated the effort required to take care of her, and in this case Hinata's memories weren't an adequate guide.

As I headed back to my quarters, I ruminated over the steadily developing bonds tying me to the Hyūga and through them, Konoha. I had a vague plan to maintain my emotional distance when I first found myself here, so that when I got strong enough that I needn't fear reprisal I could flee from Konoha. Now though, that was looking increasingly unlikely as the remnants of Hinata's emotions conspired to tie me here with each time I saw Hanabi. I couldn't see any solution though, as the thought of trying to distance myself from Hanabi now was already unbearable. With an internal grunt of annoyance I pushed the issue from my mind, there was nothing to do about it now and I needed my sleep.

* * *

Two days later, I awoke to find someone had laid out a formal kimono for me beside my bed while I slept. It came as an unpleasant reminder that being a ninja wasn't a job, it was what you _were_. If an enemy had gained access last night, I might have died without ever waking up. I hoped that things like maintaining situational awareness at all times and some means to have awareness of your surroundings was taught at the academy, because I needed vast improvement in those areas. I reluctantly accepted that I was too busy to work on it now, but I made a note in my future plans journal to do some research as soon as I had the time.

I flashed my dōjutsu to check the surrounds, seeing a maid in conversation with the guards. I quickly showered, then donned an over-robe and moved to inquire what was going on. As soon as I slid the door open a crack, the maid bowed and said, "Good morning on the occasion of your birthday, Hinata-sama. May I assist you with dressing?"

I blinked in shock, stammering out "T-Thank you for your consideration, you may." And backing away from the door as my mind raced. I knew it was late December, but the 27th already? Pulling myself together I returned to the bedroom, dropping the robe to the floor to stand naked, waiting for assistance.

I had noticed over the weeks since the abduction that although my mind was adult, my drives and desires were those appropriate to my four year-old self, including anything relating to my sex drive. I could see through clothing with almost no effort, but any view gained meant nothing, like I was looking at an anatomically correct doll. In this area, the original Hinata's personality seemed dominant, so as she had felt no shame at nudity before the maids, neither did I. On reflection, in a clan that could see through clothing at a whim, nudity taboo's seemed an exercise in futility, at least when it came to members of the clan.

An hour later, dressed to satisfaction, I took a seat with my father for breakfast. After wishing me a pleasant day, we ate in silence, before he informed me my rate of progress was adequate for my position and that if I kept it up, I might be at the level I should be in a few years.

I mentally edited his words from Hiashi-speak to what someone with the ability to express emotion might have said: "I have been monitoring your progress (not in any way like a stalker), and you have been doing exceptionally well since the abduction. I hope to see you keep it up, if you can you might end up regarded as a prodigy in a few years, well done! I couldn't be more proud of you, have a Ferrari (child-safe model)."

With an internal sigh I pushed away the pleasant fantasy, reminding myself that I needed to emulate him in this regard, at least in public. After expressing my thanks for his kind words and vowing not to disappoint, he informed me that gifts would be delivered to my room and that I would have a more appropriate celebration next year. I assumed that was because of Hizashi's death, but didn't feel the need to ask, as a small celebration suited my preferences perfectly. After placing the gifts I had received aside to open on Sunday (someone had gone to the effort to imbue chakra into the paper, meaning it would require specific effort to see through); I spent much of the rest of the day practicing chakra control and draining my reserves, finishing with the last of the tenketsu in the sole of my feet before retiring.

* * *

A day and a drubbing at the hands of my father later, I felt good enough about the control I'd gained to make an attempt at wall walking. I could control the chakra released from any point on the sole of my foot without any leakage from surrounding points, if still slower than those on my hands. I had also finished reading the Byakugan scroll and the 'Iron Body' book, starting the beginner exercises recommended for body reinforcement, moving tiny amounts of chakra from coils to muscle, bone and skin then back.

Starting near the outer wall of my bedroom I lay down on my back and placed the soles of my feet flat against the base. Taking hold of my chakra, I pushed a small amount from the tenketsu on my left foot and visualised it becoming sticky, grabbing onto the wall. I watched through the Byakugan and gave a light tug, confirming there was some adhesion. I increased the force pulling on my foot until it broke free, about when the force equalled half my body weight. For a few minutes I played around with the amount of chakra used in both feet until my confidence was high. I started slowly up the wall, the unconscious level of chakra common to all those who had unlocked their coils allowing me the strength to stay perpendicular to the wall.

For the next fifteen minutes I walked backwards and forth half a meter above the floor, trying to make the transitions between feet as smooth as possible so that I was only channelling chakra when my foot was in contact with the wall. It was much easier to simply maintain a cushion of chakra and change the nature of visualisation from sticky to normal but I found that I could sense the chakra in the air much better when I did that, and if I could sense it potentially so could an enemy. When it was actually holding onto the wall the sense seemed far more muted, very difficult to feel even as close as I was.

I finished quickly after twenty minutes, feeling near to chakra depletion. Granted, I had several advantages, not least my much lower weight and only channelling chakra momentarily but I thought my reserves were at least equal to if not greater than what Sakura showed in Wave Country. For a minute I felt contempt as I was still approximately doubling my reserves weekly with effort eight years younger than her, but I stifled it with the realisation of the advantages I had.

Now that the telescopic function of my bloodline was active, I'd taken the opportunity to look closely at some of the non-clan ninja that passed the compound. The differences in the way the chakra behaved were pretty amazing. The coils I was familiar with, those of my clan, held chakra that flowed swiftly and yet was calm with no ripples or turbulence regardless of its path. Even using it for demanding activities like Jūken strikes only caused a faster flow of chakra to the area of utilisation. By contrast, many of the ninja passing had sudden surges and times when it ran faster or slower in different areas, apparently without external stimuli. In addition, their chakra reserves were far smaller than any of the clan members of the same age. The only ninja I saw pass with similar chakra to my clan were what looked like an Akamichi and someone with the Uchiha fan on his back.

I theorised that this was the result of the unspoken breeding practices of the clans, Hyūga tended to marry within the clan; the only exceptions seeming to be those with excellent records as a ninja, indicating good control and reserves. The 'Introduction to Basic Chakra Theory' had talked about how if a parent had good reserves and control prior to the moment of conception, it was likely their child would have a better starting point for those attributes than they did. This was magnified if both parents had similar backgrounds.

As the clan had been using the Jūken for a very long time, all members had enough training to match at least a Chūnin level of Taijutsu in a chakra intensive style, countless generations of Hyūga had contributed to ensuring I was born with a genetic predisposition for large reserves, excellent control and physical flexibility/speed. With the addition of better chakra sense from the merging helping my control and an unnaturally advanced mind for my physical age, I had no excuse for not excelling and I resolved once more to increase my effort to grow strong enough that I didn't have to fear for my life ever again.

* * *

I practiced wall walking religiously in the afternoons for the next few days, trying to increase the speed at which I could move while remaining in total control. It was also useful for increasing traction during combat and I spent several hours running around my bedroom trying to change directions suddenly without slipping. Eventually, I achieved at least moderate proficiency, as much as was possible without a better training area, and decided it was time to move on to water walking.

I took a day off for the first of the New Year, doing nothing but stretch in the morning. As the clan was still in mourning for Hizashi, we were not participating in the village celebrations and I took the opportunity to laze around in the bath for several hours, reading and staying in my room for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow I would start water walking, and I made a New Year's resolution to secure my place within the clan by the end of the year, as well as obtaining a postponement of sealing for Hanabi.

The next day I awoke and moved to the bathroom eagerly. For this I filled the large tub in with water and sat on the side to practice holding my feet on the surface. After a couple of tries I got the hang of pushing my chakra into the water to hold myself up. I shakily pushed to a standing position, feeling my feet bob up and down as I did so. Quickly increasing the flow to the water, I sighed in relief as I stabilized.

I played around on top of the water for a few minutes and made a discovery; my feet refused to slip when in contact with the water. Even if the water directly under my feet wasn't allowed to move, it should have slipped over the water further down, allowing me to skate along. I activated my eyes and tried to follow the chakra to see what was going on. At the greatest resolution I was currently capable of, it seemed that tiny tendrils of chakra were extending much further than I thought, binding the whole bath together while I was using it. Any further attempts to slide would have to be on a bigger body of water.

* * *

Two weeks passed, and I spent the time outside Jūken training working on my chakra control and reserves, which had increased to better than forty times what they were when I first arrived here, six weeks ago. I estimated that they were about four times Sakura's level and still less than a tenth of Sasuke's reserves when they were at Wave country. At the moment the focus for my exercises were tenketsu control and shape manipulation within the coils to clear blockages.

If I could use any tenketsu the way I used the ones on my palm and fingers not only could I use any bodily contact to attack, I could counter any Jūken strike aimed to close tenketsu by ejecting chakra from that point at the same time. I was concentrating on the ones in my arms first before moving on to the points in my legs. At the current rate it would probably take about six months gain control of all 361 tenketsu in my body, and a further six months to have the necessary speed to keep up with the hand strikes, but it would be worth it to remove one of the most important weapons in any enemy Jūken user's arsenal.

I had internal shape manipulation down to about thirty seconds, still too slow for combat but it would get faster with practice. I was satisfied with my wall and water walking, losing a minimum of chakra to be sensed when doing either. To advance further, I needed a better training area, something I was reluctant to ask my father until I had enough to prove to him that the rate of my advancement was far beyond the curve. My body reinforcement continued to progress and cautious guesswork suggested that I was able to increase my bones, muscle and skin to roughly double the normal toughness for a brief period. Nothing like the orders of magnitude even a high Genin would be capable of but still a sign of progress.

I had been planning to start working on beginning exercises for strength and speed enhancement, but a few sleepless nights where the consequences of overloading chakra in the muscles or bones preyed on my mind convinced me to wait for the start of the Academy in two years. By then, my chakra control both internal and external should be at an exceptionally high level, giving me a much greater safety margin.

Instead, yesterday I had returned to the Branch house archives, removing 'Intermediate Chakra Theory'. I was a little miffed that all the effort I took to come up with a reason for wanting the book turned out to be wasted as no one mentioned it at all. Although I was interested in the higher level chakra theory, my main motivation for getting the book was the last five chapters, dealing with elemental chakra and containing the exercises to practice re-composition.

Unfortunately I didn't have access to chakra paper or the freedom to go and get some, nor could I come up with a reason that would pass muster as to why I should be given a piece. This left me with an option that was both attractive and daunting; practice all five elemental exercises and try and determine what my elements are from that. I realised very well that even if I knew my element and practiced only that, it would still probably take me two years to gain proficiency at manipulation.

Doing all five at once would blow out that time immensely but there would hopefully be some fringe benefits. Whatever my element was, the exercises would progress faster, giving me a hint although I probably wouldn't stop the others. Realistically, elemental re-composition was a Chūnin skill; multiple elements were Jōnin level so I was happy to wait years to see any results. In the eight years between now and graduation, I would be thrilled to get to a medium level with my primary element and have the others high enough to assist me with the chakra cost of jutsu in their element.

I reminded myself not to look at elemental training and think that the next step will be learning jutsu. Because of my position, I cannot be publically seen to use anything other than the Jūken and what is required for the Academy, so I needed to concentrate on those for the next two years.

The elemental exercises would be done in secret, everything else involving chakra control can be explained as helping my mastery of Jūken. If I also continue to study theory, including Fūinjutsu's theoretical basis if I can get access; it will have the effect of giving me the grounding, general chakra control, reserves and elemental re-composition to advance quickly in Ninjutsu studies once at the Academy and under less supervision.

**Author's Note:** I'm worried about the pacing of the story – it will always be slow with a lot of detail outside combat, as once a life and death battle begins, there will be no stopping to explain techniques or training montage flashbacks and indeed active effort will be made to be as deceptive as possible about her skills. It was inevitable in the manga, as the size and number of issues were limited by costs, but that is not the case here. When you read though, do you feel like you're drowning in detail to the point you can't remember what is going on? Also, can you understand the dialogue, as in who is talking or do you get confused? As someone who normally writes Engineering reports, emotion, dialogue and characterisation aren't something I'm very skilled at and your feedback would be welcome.

**Credit:** The idea for the long established shinobi clans having inherently better reserves and smoother flowing chakra I first saw in 'Reflections of Demons', by 'evil genus', and the inspiration for a difference between speed and strength enhancement come from 'Koudoukou: Fool's Gold' by 'Akraa', who can both be found in my Favorites, all kudos to them.


	3. To Prove Oneself

**Disclaimer: This is a non-profit work of fiction and all copyrights to the Naruto manga and anime are retained by their original owners.**

**Last Time:** _Instead, yesterday I had returned to the Branch house archives, removing 'Intermediate Chakra Theory'... Although I was interested in the higher level chakra theory, my main motivation for getting the book was the last five chapters, dealing with elemental chakra and containing the exercises to practice re-composition... I realised very well that even if I knew my element and practiced only that, it would still probably take me two years to gain proficiency at manipulation... Realistically, elemental re-composition was a Chūnin skill; multiple elements were Jōnin level so I was happy to wait years to see any results. In the eight years between now and graduation, I would be thrilled to get to a medium level with my primary element and have the others high enough to assist me with the chakra cost of jutsu in their element...The elemental exercises would be done in secret, everything else involving chakra control can be explained as helping my mastery of Jyuken. If I also continue to study theory, including Fūinjutsu's theoretical base if I can get access; it will have the effect of giving me the grounding, general chakra control, reserves and elemental re-composition to advance quickly in Ninjutsu studies once at the Academy and under less supervision._

**Chapter Two –To Prove Oneself**

The following morning I stood in the shower after Jyuken practice, considering what I'd learned about elemental re-composition yesterday afternoon. Although some schools of thought preached that training for any element should take the same general path, i.e. use a leaf and cut, burn, soak, crumble or crinkle it with chakra, the book also presented other points of view. They pointed to the fact that individuals who spent a lot of time training to use elemental jutsu outside their primary element often developed secondary or even tertiary affinities to a detectable level; even though they couldn't use them without handseals like those who had done the appropriate manipulation training.

Further, this line of theory ran that any manipulation of an element in its raw form would act to train skill at sealless re-composition, suggesting a number of exercises for each element. To that end, I had gathered items that I could use, such as a glass that could be filled with water to manipulate, a potted plant with earth to move, a light bulb to channel electricity through, a liquid fuel lamp providing a flame for fire and I had a number of leaves and pieces of paper to cut with wind. Hopefully if I spent an hour a day on each element mixed in among my other control exercises, I should have a good idea of my primary element before the middle of the year.

Towelling off, I quickly dressed before grabbing the glass and filling it with water, moving over to kneel beside the table. Placing the glass down, I curved my hands around the sides, activating my bloodline and focusing on the flow of chakra in my hands. Gently, I pushed streamers of chakra into the water, trying to imagine them as having an intrinsic flowing nature, blending with the water. Occasionally, I stirred the water with one hand, watching and feeling the effect on the streamers from the other hand. At other times, I moved the streamers as best I could, trying with little success to affect the water currents.

After an hour I sat back with a sigh, refusing to be discouraged. First, some calligraphy practice then on to lightning nature.

That evening, I opened my hands, taking the unblemished leaf from between with deep disappointment. Five hours, an hour with each of the elements and not even a hint of results. No matter how often I reminded myself that I must be realistic, not to expect free power-ups and that slow and steady effort would show the best results in the end, I'd read far too many stories where the protagonist was some unheard of prodigy at elemental manipulation not to secretly hope for something similar.

It appeared that it wasn't to be though, and I reminded myself that an overdeveloped chakra sense allowing far greater control and mastery of my bloodline was far more than most had, not to say anything of the resources available to me as the Heir. Both were advantages that would show their worth again and again over the years, as long as I continued to put effort into developing them. With that I resigned myself, not without some lingering resentment, to the incremental path to elemental mastery.

* * *

The next day was a Wednesday, and with it came the inevitable bout with my father. Contrary to our initial spars, I had begun to look forward to these as the most tangible measure of my progress with the Jūken. This was the sixth time thanks to interruptions since the abduction, and though it was possible to see progress from one session to the next, it was only when a series of spars were considered together that I got a good feel for my skill increase. Every time, the speed increased, as did the unpredictability of his movements. Every time, he pushed harder and longer, forcing me to adapt to maintaining my form against an opponent who badly overmatched me. It taught me to wait for an opening with patience, for as soon as I lost my cool and tried to force an attack, I was instantly destroyed.

This iteration had already been going for over two hours with full power Jyuken strikes, eyes activated to the greatest detail draining my reserves the whole time. Whenever I started to feel comfortable with our pace, he would speed up, with the result that for the last forty minutes I had been flowing an increased amount of chakra for the general augmentation all Genin are capable of.

My reserves were getting close to empty, though I persevered, unwilling to appear less than fanatically dedicated before my father. "Hold!" His voice rang out. "We will conclude there for the week. This session was an improvement on the last – I expect a further improvement next week. On another matter, this morning will be the last you will have guards within the compound; the abductor took advantage of a hole in security that we have since repaired and I have already dismissed them. Do you have any questions?"

I felt intense curiosity about the purported security hole, but the tone of his voice made it clear that his inquiry was only a formality and he would be entertaining no questions. "No, Otou-sama."

"Very well, you are dismissed until next week, Hinata-chan. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Otou-sama." I said with a bow as he left.

* * *

The request my uncle had made of me before his death was something my mind often returned to in idle times. If at all possible, I didn't want Neji to become his fate-obsessed older self from the manga, but I also wasn't sure how to approach him after our abortive conversation before the funeral. I had no training as a counsellor and talking to Neji so soon after his father's death, especially if he blamed my father and me, could well be taken as a grievous insult. The longer I left things though, the harder it would be to change his mind, if indeed he had taken things the wrong way as seemed likely. Screwing up my courage, I went to see him after lunch in the Branch house compound.

As I stepped out onto the stone pathway that ran to the side of the Main house compound, I ran my eyes over the clan grounds. At the far extent was a high wall that enclosed the whole area, separating the clan from the rest of Konoha. Inside the wall ran a series of outdoor training grounds for the Branch house with their living quarters a large horseshoe shape just inside that, the open end facing the main gate. A visitor who entered would see a straight stone path leading from the gate to the Main house compound, located like an island amidst a sea of Branch house buildings.

I briefly activated my dōjutsu, finding Neji after a quick scan at one of the more secluded training grounds, repetitively striking a post with choppy, jerking motions far from the ideal Jūken forms. I cut the chakra to my eyes, moving towards the training ground, reminding myself not to rush. After all, I had to present the image of composure at all times. The faint thudding of his strikes grew slowly louder as I wound my may along the path, taking little note of the decorative water features and stone gardens dotting the landscape, still trying to find a good way to approach my cousin.

The first thing I saw as I entered the field was Neji's back, his clothing soaked with sweat and clinging to his skin. I moved clockwise around the boundary, stopping within his peripheral vision to wait for him to notice me, as he was training without the Byakugan active. Actually, I wasn't sure if he would be able to activate it and train at the moment, the glimpse I'd had of his reserves before showed them dangerously low. 'Perhaps I should interrupt?' I thought to myself, 'Chakra Exhaustion is dangerous, particularly in children.' While I considered my options, I suddenly noticed the palms of his hands were raw and bloody, red stains starting to decorate the pole. I cleared my throat in shock, causing him to jerk in surprise, a telling indicator of his mental state that I had gone unnoticed.

His head snapped around, eyes focusing on me for a moment of blank incomprehension, before the light of recognition flooded them. "Hinata-_sama_, what have I done to deserve the_ honour_ of your presence?" He bit out, the sarcasm thick enough to curdle the air between us.

I cleared my throat again, momentarily taken aback by the sheer hostility in his tone, although I'd thought I was prepared. I blurted out, "Neji-nii-san, I wanted to see how you were doing." What? '_I wanted to see how you were doing?_' that hadn't been what I planned to say at all! I scrambled to get things back on track.

"I mean, I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for you…" I cursed myself, knowing that wouldn't have helped at all, and his steadily darkening countenance only underlined how badly I was handling this.

"... Anything you could do? … Oh, I think you've done enough for my family already, Hinata-_sama_." His tone was scathing, and I barely suppressed a flinch at the naked venom contained within.

Not knowing what else to do and desperate to salvage something from this mess I took several quick steps forward, reaching out one hand in entreaty, "Neji-nii-san, I understand that you"

"STOP!" He barked, "You understand nothing about me!" Overcome with anger, he lashed out twice, the first strike impacting my shoulder in a starburst of pain, shocking me from my stupor enough to mount a feeble defence and impose my other arm before my chest to take the second strike. I was sent tumbling backwards, my lack of stable stance and shock preventing me from doing much more than sprawl on my back and gaze up at Neji, stunned.

He stared down at me, shock filling his own eyes at his own actions before contempt replaced it. "That was …lacking, for the Heir of the Main house, Hinata-sama. I am pleased to have been able to assist your training by drawing this flaw to your attention. If you will excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to." With that, he strode swiftly from the training grounds, the sound of his footfalls fading to silence as I lay immobile, listening.

I struggled to comprehend the magnitude of just how badly that had gone. Instead of building a bridge between me and Neji I had only succeeded in driving him further away, while cementing my worthlessness as the Heir in his mind. He was right about one thing at least; I had a flaw brought fully to my attention. The difference between my performance when in the dojo expecting and ready for an attack and when caught unprepared had been brutally illustrated.

A ninja had to be ready to respond to an attack at any time and from anyone, and it was obvious that I had failed in that aspect. I wasn't sure how I could train to remedy the problem at the moment, but resolved to work on my situational awareness and attitude, coupled with regular random activations of the Byakugan to make it difficult to sneak up on me.

Speaking of which, I activated it then and saw Neji, staggering with minimal chakra into the branch house. As far as I could see, there was no-one who saw what had transpired and I began to work on clearing the jumbled mess of chakra from my shoulder. Finishing quickly, I rolled to my feet and brushed the dirt from my clothes, ignoring the aches still paining me. I moved back towards the Main house compound, satisfied there was minimal external evidence of the confrontation.

It was obvious now that until some other factor changed his attitude, I would have little success following Hizashi's request concerning Neji. I resolved to watch and wait – hopefully something would come up before the Chūnin exams, as I didn't want to wait that long listening to a fate-obsessed relative.

* * *

Once back in my rooms, I bared my shoulder and massaged in the muscular salve I'd been given to help with training. Not for the first time, I marvelled at how effective it was, although the traces of embedded chakra I could sense suggested there was more to its manufacture than simply mixing compounds. In the Manga, Hinata had made her own salve, which was more impressive now and I was vaguely interested in what could be done with that area of study, but I simply had too much to do at the moment as it was. Perhaps once I joined the academy I could start looking into it as a part of medical jutsu, if time permitted.

Moving over to the table in my bedroom I sat, readjusting my clothing. I had progressed as far as I could with wall and water walking inside my room, next week I would ask my father to allow access to one of the larger indoor training grounds within the main compound. If he granted the request I could use it to practice not only tree and water walking but also other skills that were dangerous to attempt in my rooms, should I learn any that is.

In the meantime, I had plenty to practice. I knew from Jiraiya's Hari Jizō technique where his hair turned into a spiky shield that it was possible to manipulate hair with chakra. What I wanted to find out was to what extent it was possible to do so without handseals. I had been growing my hair out since arriving here, although with little result as of yet. In a couple of years though, my hair would be getting fairly long, certainly long enough to be used against me in a fight if I didn't have some way of controlling it so as to prevent that at a minimum, and hopefully I'd be able to use it offensively in some fashion.

In addition, one of my goals was to be able to do all my personal grooming and cleaning with chakra, as not only would it provide another source of daily control training for the rest of my life, it would make field missions much easier. There was no point hiding my chakra signature if insects and small mammals dropped dead at a hundred paces from the stench of my unwashed body, and conditions on a mission might prevent access to water or a place to wash in peace.

The other skill I wanted to begin learning was chakra strings like those used by puppeteers. It was a technique that had enormous utility, and one I could use constantly to practice by moving things I needed once I had a basic grasp of the skill. Although I had no plans to become a master of puppetry, being able to move items and weapons without touching them had obvious applications, even if ideas like chakra strings composed of wind chakra didn't pay off.

With an internal sigh, I focused and began to push chakra from the tenketsu in my scalp, watching intently with the Byakugan.

* * *

One month later, I chewed slowly as I concentrated on working the chakra down the individual hairs from root to tip. Originally I had tried pushing chakra into the hair as one large body, but was quickly forced to stop as it felt like a giant was ripping off my scalp. After trying a few other methods, I hit on extending a sheath of chakra just inside the outer shell of a single hair. The manipulation required was so fine that I must have broken close to a hundred hairs before I had any success. Embarrassingly, I needed to slightly rearrange my hairstyle to cover the small bald patch near the back of my skull, as I failed to anticipate the problem and practice with widely spread out hairs.

That one successful hair though, was the answer to many of my hopes. Although I couldn't make my hair grow at all, once the sheath extended to the tip of the hair, I could move it fairly easily in whatever way I imagined. Practicing with a piece of paper and later a bit of wood held nearby showed that I could make the hair sharp enough to cut very well – now if only I could extend the length of the hair so that it was dangerous to more than particularly close-flying insects.

The major drawback to the process was doing it with multiple hairs at the same time. Oh, once I had coated a hair in chakra, it didn't really require any conscious thought to keep the chakra there, and whenever I needed to I could use the hair as well as when I had first enhanced it that morning. The problem was that whenever I slept, the chakra left the hair sometime during the night. Since when I first started it took me an hour to do a single hair and I had only reduced that to ten minutes over the past month, animating the entirety of my hair as a shield or weapon was a long way off. At the moment I was animating six strands placed evenly over my head as I ate breakfast, which should be enough to make anyone who tried to use a grip on my hair as a weapon against me regret it.

A bit of investigation had revealed there were no commonly known hair manipulation techniques, jutsu like Hari Jizō proving the exception, not the rule. It seemed that outside highly formal clans like the Hyūga, long hair on a ninja was an indication that either they put appearance over functionality, generally a sign of a poor ninja with a limited lifespan, or it was a statement that the skill of the individual was so high that providing a handhold for the enemy wasn't a concern. It was, in a way, a form of understated bragging that the higher ranks indulged in.

For all my success with the hair technique, even if it was coming along slowly, both elemental manipulation and the chakra strings were another story. Apart from some faint stirrings with the water in the cup that could well have been the product of my imagination, elemental manipulation was showing no results at all after more than a month of an hour of effort on each element, six days a week. I'd managed to form some sort of proto-strings with my chakra, but couldn't extend them more than 5 centimetres from the tenketsu of origin no matter what I did, so apart from making me seem like a quasi-hobo-shoggoth, chakra strings looked like a bust in the near future. Intellectually, I knew that if I was concentrating on only the strings or one element, things would progress much faster and that I'd see the benefits of my slower approach in years to come. Emotionally, it was discouraging, especially for someone who had always picked things up quickly in the past. I didn't really have any other choice but to persevere though, however glacial my progression.

My request for a larger training area to my father had been met with approval after he had me demonstrate basic proficiency with wall and water walking. I was directed to a large, indoor room with half the floor space taken up by water of varying depths. There were differently sized wooden columns placed around the room with horizontal beams stretching from wall to wall. Apparently it was usually used to practice techniques restricted to the main house in more realistic conditions than a dojo or training ground, and for that reason the walls were sealed against spying with the Byakugan.

I briefly toyed with the idea of experimenting with Ninjutsu there, but reason intervened. I had too much to do already and if elemental damage was done to a facility used exclusively by the main house I might have some awkward questions to answer. Inappropriate for Ninjutsu or not, I made good use of the area, leaping from a pole to the underside of a beam, then onto the water and back. I stopped periodically to practice kata standing sideways or upside down, or on the surface of the water. After I stopped falling in, I began experimenting with sudden changes of direction using my chakra and a moment of contact to swing 'round. I was far from proficient enough to use it in combat, but I could see the potential there.

A faint tap roused me from my thoughts and I pulsed chakra to my dōjutsu to check who was there before calling for my tutor to enter.

* * *

The screen closed with a click behind his departing form, and I settled back to consider what we'd covered during the lesson. My calligraphy was finally up to what was termed 'a tolerable standard,' and after an admonition to continue practicing, we moved on to the clan history. We covered only an outline today, but there were still some interesting points brought up. The Sage of Six Paths was mentioned as the founder of Ninjutsu, and as an ancestor of the Hyūga Clan. A strange claim, as we were not Uchiha, Senju or Uzumaki, but it was possible that either things were different in this universe or revisionist historians were playing games. Hell, maybe a Hyūga married a distant member of one of the other clans at some point and the relationship was played up.

The description of the founding of the village was also interesting, with Senju Hashirama coming off as something of a supplicant, begging for the aid of the powerful Hyūga without whom Konoha could not succeed. Somehow I doubted that either the official village histories or the private Senju ones would have a similar depiction of events. For the moment there was nothing I could do to research what the true history might have been so I decided to take my lessons with the proverbial grain of salt, outwardly regurgitating what the tutor wanted to hear.

I opened my journals, noting down the major points for later investigation from the lesson and flipped to review my current level of progress. Both tree climbing and water walking were going well, and I was happy with my plans for incremental improvement over time. My goal was for their use to be both unconscious from any part of the body and almost instantaneous; using chakra only at the moment it was required and not allowing any to leak into the air while it was being used to prevent detection by chakra sensors. If I could make its use completely unconscious, fighting sideways or upside down, or on liquid would provide me with an advantage against anyone without the same level of proficiency.

A goal that I noted down for the future was to extend the water walking to all types of unstable footing such as mud and sand if possible. The pinnacle of this skill would be to suppress any sound or sign of my passage over all types of terrain, to enable surprise and hinder tracking, and I hoped to be ready to start practicing that in six months, or by the time I started the academy at the latest if mud and/or sand walking proved difficult.

I was also happy with the state of my chakra reserves, which had increased to two hundred times what they were when I had first arrived, or twenty times Sakura's level in Wave. It was a bit disappointing that over the last month, the rate of increase had noticeably slowed; although probably inevitable given that I had originally been using most of my reserve many times in a day, forcing rapid increase. Now that the size of my reserve and the rate I generated chakra had increased, it took much more effort to exhaust my reserve, which meant I was only able to use it up a couple of times a day. Possibly when I learnt jutsu with a higher chakra cost I'd see a sudden jump in reserve size until I again reached a level where it took too long to exhaust it. In the meantime I would continue work and be satisfied with incremental improvement in my chakra capacity.

My respect for Sasuke had risen slightly, as I estimated that I was still at less than a tenth of his reserves during the Wave mission. While I intended to surpass that level around the time I joined the academy, he must have done an exceptionally large amount of training on Ninjutsu to have reserves of that size without knowing draining control exercises that could be continually practiced such as tree and water walking.

**Author's Note:** The next chapter will cover the two years until the Academy, as well as joining and the first meeting with some recognisable people. If you're worried that Hinata will turn into some divine master of elemental manipulation, don't. I hope I've shown that she's having difficulties trying all five elements at once in this chapter, and although she will be eventually exceptional with her primary element, the secondary and tertiary elements will only be usable for minor sealless manipulation in a battle situation, and the final two basically only at a level where they reduce the chakra cost of associated Ninjutsu after a decade of effort. Admittedly, if you were to fast-forward the timeline 50 years and she was still alive and practicing it would be a different story, but that is far outside the scope of time I will be writing.

For those interested, I have posted a brief timeline on my profile of events as related to the Hyūga clan and Hinata's life before the abduction in this AU. I tried to stick to official dates as much as possible, but some of the information seems contradictory, or would strain the bounds of believability.

I'm also experimenting with shorter chapters, as I've seen some comment that they have difficulty sitting through a 10,000 word chapter in one go. If you have strong feelings about the length, let me know your reasons and I'll consider any length between 4,000 and 12,000.

**Credit:** The idea for chakra usage only in the moment of contact to prevent detection when tree walking was adapted from 'Kyubed: Shinobi's Revenge on Naruto' by 'ContraBardus' where I think I first saw it, which can be found in my Favorites, all kudos to them.


	4. The Waiting Years

**Disclaimer: This is a non-profit work of fiction and all copyrights and intellectual property of the original works represented within are retained by their original owners.**

**Last Time: **_Both tree climbing and water walking were going well, and I was happy with my plans for incremental improvement over time… A goal that I noted down for the future was to extend the water walking to all types of unstable footing such as mud and sand if possible… I was also happy with the state of my chakra reserves, which had increased to two hundred times what they were when I had first arrived, or twenty times Sakura's level in Wave. It was a bit disappointing that over the last month, the rate of increase had noticeably slowed…_

_My respect for Sasuke had risen slightly, as I estimated that I was still at less than a tenth of his reserves during the Wave mission. While I intended to surpass that level around the time I joined the academy, he must have done an exceptionally large amount of training on Ninjutsu to have reserves of that size without knowing draining control exercises that could be continually practiced such as tree and water walking._

**Chapter Three - The Waiting Years**

I sat quietly. The oppressive, awkward silences and stilted speech between Hiashi and Neji illustrating the fractured nature of our family; not that it was a particularly joyous birthday for Neji either. Thankfully, he had refrained from mentioning our confrontation five months earlier to anyone; a frank relief as my position was still vulnerable to any appearance of weakness. Had the humiliating defeat that still caused me pain to recall become public knowledge I would've been forced to take drastic steps to recover the lost face. Ideally, that would take the form of a very public, indisputable loss by Neji to me in Jūken combat.

Unfortunately, while it was within the realm of possibility that I would win, given a flawless performance on my part and a mistake on Neji's, it was in no way guaranteed. Indeed, the odds if I was honest clearly favoured Neji. From what I'd seen during surreptitious observation of his Jūken training, we were closely matched in speed, precision and our technique. The glaring difference was in our sizes, as Neji had a considerable reach advantage. It was something I'd likely struggle to overcome for the rest of my life; that to beat most of my opponents I'd need a significant speed and/or skill advantage to overcome the handicap imposed by my small stature.

Since a crushing victory was out, at least for the next year or two; my only option would have been to utilise my position to punish Neji harshly enough to satisfy the Clan that I had the strength to defend its interests against our enemies. That would've been a problem, as despite making progress in my efforts to condition my way of thinking into that appropriate for the Heir, I doubted that I could follow through on something sufficiently harsh to silence my detractors. Of course even if I failed to punish him, there was no way that he'd be allowed to escape retribution for attacking the Heir, so it was fortunate for both of us he'd kept it to himself.

Briefly I tuned back into the halting conversation between father and Neji; they were talking about training with my father expressing congratulations in his normal heavy-handed manner to Neji on his progress. I fought the temptation to roll my eyes. Judging by the growing fury my cousin mistakenly believed concealed, he was interpreting the congratulations as some form of patronising insult; and if it was noticeable to me, it must have been a glaring neon sign to my father with his greater experience at reading people. Perhaps in response Hiashi wound up his little speech and the silence returned for a minute before Neji requested permission to be excused, the naked emotion bleeding into his voice. At father's assent he rose with indecent haste and left the dining room, the click of the closing screen leaving us alone in awkward contemplation.

Being in his presence like this forcefully brought to mind the memory of having to sit through similarly awkward situations such as Hanabi's birthday, or the recent first anniversary of my mother's death. Hanabi's birthday had been a quiet affair, with only myself, my father and sister sharing a meal. Surprisingly, father stayed after the meal for a time to help Hanabi unwrap presents and play briefly. Watching them, I was at once touched and disturbed, as the game had underlying purpose beyond simple amusement. He would hold a sweet, keeping it away from Hanabi and close to his body as she tried to grab it. The areas he chose to hover the sweet over though, corresponded to the primary Jūken target areas, so in grabbing for the sweet she was already training to strike swiftly towards those locations. It made me wonder how many of the games and activities I vaguely remembered Hinata playing had a secondary purpose.

On the anniversary of my mother's death, we went to the shrine where the ashes of the main house were interred. Although the Caged Bird Seal prevented the exploitation of the Branch house bodies after death so they had the option of burial, Main house members were always cremated to protect the secrets of the Jūken and Byakugan. It was interesting that the Seal protected not only the Byakugan but also prevented the extraction of any usable data from a corpse, including data on fighting styles and jutsu used. I wondered briefly how it worked, as it would have to affect all parts of the body to deny a competent medic-nin that sort of information.

The sound of my father clearing his throat jerked my attention back to the present.

"Your progress has been an improvement since the abduction, and in more than Jūken skill. Nevertheless, your cousin remains beyond the reach of your strength, at present." He stated; eyes seemingly fixed just above my head.

"Yes, Otou-sama, I will redouble my efforts." I quickly replied, wondering where he was going with this. I already knew there remained a gap between me and Neji, albeit one I was closing slowly.

"Your efforts are satisfactory; it is your discretion that requires improvement." Came the cool reply, his eyes dropping to bore into mine. 'What the hell is he talking about?' I thought frantically to myself, holding a rigid expression with difficulty. 'Could he know about the confrontation?' The thought was accompanied by a rising sense of doom.

"I refrained from intervention at the time, in order to observe the play of events and your reaction to them; however, I suggest you give serious consideration to any further unsupervised interaction with your cousin for the near future." He stated, "It would be unfortunate were I forced to take notice of any… untoward… events." He finished with heavy emphasis, eyes rising back to staring over me. I controlled myself enough to respond with only a minor tremor of expressed emotion audible in my reply.

"Yes, Otou-sama, it will be as you say." I accompanied my words with a half-bow of submission to his authority, having difficulty believing that he was willing to overlook what had occurred unless he had no other choice.

His lips tightened for an instant, before he said "Your cousin is not in good control of his emotions at the present time. Any effort to forge a connection with him will have to wait until the right moment; trust in me to know when that time arrives." The tone of his words was laced with disapproval, whether that was for my attempt or Neji's deplorable lack of emotional control I wasn't sure. On reflection, it was most likely a combination of the two. I'd wondered over the past few months why he didn't give Neji the letter I assumed Hizashi had left with him, but obviously he judged that Neji wasn't ready for it in his current state. I grimaced internally at the looming spectre of a fate-obsessed Neji, but prior events had shown that my judgement in emotional matters was far from perfect, and I really had little choice but to comply with my father's wishes.

* * *

Air burned its way into my lungs as I fought for some semblance of controlled breathing. My spine bowed as I flicked my upper body back into an arch, parallel to the floor. My hand met my father's arm, an explosion of blue energy deflecting his strike enough that his hand ripped through the air a foot above my face. Simultaneously, my other hand came in from the side; striking for the major tenketsu I was tracking with my Byakugan, now in reach from his slight overextension at not meeting the expected resistance. A lightning-fast disengage on his part saw my strike aborted before I over-committed, the tight grip I maintained with chakra on the floor allowing me to recover almost instantly, snapping forward to follow my father's retreating arm. A blurring exchange of strikes, counter-strikes and blocks followed; I knew that an untrained spectator would see only a wall of faint blue haze between us, as the area where the majority of contact occurred built up a concentration of expelled chakra.

The spar continued as he alternately varied the level of his Jūken, sometimes pressing me to retreat rapidly or be overwhelmed, at other times falling back before me, restricting himself to defensive actions. Through it all, the sweat from the past two hours dripped to the floor, making the polished wood increasingly treacherous, ensuring that no footing without chakra assistance would remain in place without slipping. Speed suddenly doubling, his arm flashed forward from outside my effective reach, disabling my right arm at the shoulder. My internal manipulation was at a level that allowed me to clear that kind of block in seconds; but even if I was minded to reveal that capability, he gave me no time to do so. I was falling back continuously now, left arm darting to intercept his strikes, body bending and flexing to avoid those that got through. The past months of experience allowed me to remain calm, mind both focused and unfocused as my body acted semi-independently to deal with the individual strikes while I consciously attempted to direct the overall flow of combat. I was far from perfect, but it was a great improvement over the panic I would once have been crippled by in this situation.

Finally he halted and stepped back, signalling the end of the day's sparring to prevent any continuation from me.

"Your skill and speed are progressing in a satisfactory manner; ensure that you continue to do so." He stated.

"Yes, Otou-sama." I breathlessly replied, striving to keep the strain from my voice. He stared for a second, as if looking for something to say, then abruptly turned and left the dojo.

I waited until the screen closed with a faint click, shutting out the world outside the dojo, before turning my attention to the blockage in my shoulder, quickly clearing it.

* * *

I finished dressing in the semi-formal clothing most Hyūga wore around the compound and paused for a moment to adjust the fit in the bathroom mirror. My hair had grown out from its bowl cut, and now fell to just below my shoulder line. Months of strenuous Taijutsu had stripped some of the baby fat from my face, thinning out the previously round cheeks and granting a more adult profile; though I still occasionally shocked myself on glimpsing a reflected image, the white-on-white eyes making me look like some kind of zombie.

I settled myself by the table, beginning with the chakra control exercises. I had gained mastery of all my tenketsu, able to use any of them to manipulate projected chakra without wastage from the surrounding points, and I was now working on speed. Pieces of paper moved over my body in random paths, the goal to constantly increase their speed. There were multiple benefits as I was forced to stream chakra into some of the areas in my brain related to the Byakugan. Specifically, the areas that allowed me to cope with the incredible scope of vision provided without being overwhelmed.

While experimenting over the past few months, I'd noticed that by directing chakra to those areas it was possible to focus on more than one thing at a time. Presumably this had evolved to allow a Hyūga to focus on more than one opponent while the dōjutsu was active, for example an opponent in the front and behind simultaneously; but with my increased sensitivity to chakra I had memorised the areas used when the dōjutsu was active and experimented cautiously with directing chakra only to those areas without activating the Byakugan. This allowed me to think of more than one thing at a time, which had been a truly unnerving experience for the first few attempts. I hoped that it would make the more complex jutsu easier (should I learn any), but for now it allowed me to have four pieces of paper that moved independently of each other.

The increased chakra control had assisted me with my efforts in walking on different liquids and solids, and I could reliably walk on all surfaces I had attempted without leaving a trace apart from grass, which required such fine control in so many places that I was slowed to a crawling pace when I attempted it. Still, it was possible at least; all that remained was constant practice as I moved from place to place. I was now up to 78 heirs sheathed in chakra during my morning breakfast hour, though I settled for ten on Wednesday, as sparring with father left me with little time to eat. As the length of my hair grew, the utility of the technique increased, the incredible sharpness of the controlled hair ensuring that anyone who mistook my hair for a convenient handle would be missing fingers.

The endless elemental re-composition exercises had finally borne fruit, and I was now certain my primary element was water, and I was able to manipulate bodies of existing water reliably, up to a couple of metres from my position. The wind and lightning exercises showed intermittent progress, with an occasional spark generated and small cuts made on the leaves. Fire and earth though were a dead loss, and although I continued, there seemed to be nothing to show for it. I was moving on to trying to condense water from the atmosphere, which was proving difficult.

I finished with the speed training, at the rate it was going I should have control over all tenketsu at the same level as the ones in my hand by the end of the year, meaning I would be able to attack and block Jūken strikes through any point on my body. Moving to the shelves I retrieved my calligraphy materials and started to practice. I had all of the symbols memorised, what remained was endless repetition to increase speed while keeping perfect form, something I hoped would see a payoff when and if I ever started Fūinjutsu studies. In the meantime my tutor and father were pleased with my dedication to a traditional art appropriate to nobility, and I needed approval in that area after the disastrous music lessons.

A couple of months after I started learning the clan history, the tutor declared us finished; what remained would be covered by the Academy, with the understanding that anything that contradicted the clan history was to be discarded as propaganda for the masses. From there, it was apparently time for me to learn an instrument and sing, in order to possess the skillset expected from someone in my position. It was, to say the least, an utter disaster. Although I could hear the difference in tone when others produced the sound, anything I attempted sounded the same to me; it was only after I listened to a recording that I really understood what had produced the vaguely constipated look on the face of the tutor and music teacher. Despite almost a month of lessons, I failed to improve, and indeed an argument was made that I was getting worse so the lessons were discontinued to my father's dissatisfaction, meaning that I had to make up for it in other areas.

With the mastery of individual tenketsu and water/surface walking, I had spare time each day, and I already had plans for how to fill it.

* * *

The following morning I went to the Branch house archives, determined to find information on two related topics that would have a long-term effect. I wanted to learn a secondary Taijutsu style and begin study on the theoretical foundations of medicine, mainly anatomy. The need for another Taijutsu style was driven by a number of factors. Firstly, I wanted a style that wasn't chakra intensive in case I had to fight while conserving my chakra, or if I faced someone with a bloodline that made external chakra injections harmless or possessed a weapon like Samehada, Kisame's chakra eating sword. This would also have the secondary benefits of allowing me to pretend to be a non-Hyūga on missions where the deception was important yet fighting was also required, and give me a style to use in the academy so that I could minimise my use of the Jūken in public; no point giving people unnecessary time to analyse one of my strongest skills.

The style I selected would have to fit in with my requirements and current skillset and body type. Good as the Gōken was, it was entirely unsuitable for someone of my body type, emphasising speed and power over speed and precision, and I would always be physically too small to get the greatest effect from practicing it. It was the final requirement that enabled me to finalise my selection though; at some point if possible I wanted to give Naruto some help in learning a decent style while in the Academy. I'd put considerable thought into what would suit him while satisfying my requirements, and I had found something I could live with.

The scrolls Taijutsu styles were recorded on were not the small handheld things most often used for sealing supplies or mission orders. Instead they used huge cylinders that I estimated were at least twice the size of the Forbidden Scroll in every dimension, and most styles took several such scrolls to fully detail. Even then, the scrolls were intended as a reference for instructors and students only, not as the sole instructional method. If I was going to learn one of these styles, I'd need the assistance of an experienced member of the clan to uncover flaws at the very least. Actual physical practice of the style would wait until the end of the year and the result of my discussion with father regarding attendance at the Academy. When I got permission to attend, I'd also ask him to find a tutor to help me with both the style and projectile weapons.

In the meantime, I could memorise the information on the scrolls and study anatomy. The medical study would have two benefits, both preparing me for any future study in that field, and allowing me to target critical points with my new style. The style I had eventually selected focused on quick strikes to nerve clusters and damage to muscle groups/attachment points when unarmed, but had a heavy armed component with short parrying daggers twice the size of a kunai and thrown weapons, again focusing on critical points.

In defence, the emphasis was on avoidance, with only a few basic blocks and heavy use of kawarimi (replacement). It suited my body type, used very little external chakra and fit the requirements I had for Naruto. I was assuming that he would learn and use the kage bunshin (shadow clone) heavily regardless of the path events took, but it seemed reasonable given his chakra capacity. In canon, his kage bunshin were an irritant at best to most of the foes he fought; mainly because they ran in, usually unarmed, and were dispersed in job lots by his opponents. Give him a style that emphasised striking from range with weapons and avoidance of damage would be a far different story. Make it instinctive, and his clones would automatically use it, making them orders of magnitude more dangerous.

* * *

The streets were a riot of colour. Walking beside my father at the forefront of the clan members attending as was proper, I gazed at the celebrations for the Kyūbi Festival in carefully hidden amazement. I'd seen larger and more impressive sights on the home world of my older mind, but this was the first time I'd left the Hyūga clan compound since the abduction; the drastic contrast between the usual rote routine of my days and this was too jarring for words to adequately express. Everywhere I looked there were motifs depicting toads, kanji for Yondaime, little white-coated dolls with a shock of yellow hair and wooden tri-pronged kunai. It was both amusing and unsettling how people became aware of us, took one glance at my father's impassive face and retreated from view, bowing in either respect or fear. Honestly, I wasn't sure which, and didn't feel inclined to investigate too closely. I already had enough on my plate without searching for problems.

While we walked my mind wandered back a few weeks, when I'd been practicing with my Byakugan, trying to shave fractions of a second off the activation time, and the delay to process when I switched between surround and telescopic mode. Usually, I'd activate the dōjutsu without seals; spend several minutes experimenting with tracking multiple objects of interest simultaneously, before changing to telescopic vision and altering the direction of perception and distance without moving my head. Admittedly I was still limited to an arc approximating the bounds of my physical eyes, but that still gave me latitude to pretend that I was observing something else. If I ever found a way to conceal the observable signs of the activation of my dōjutsu, it'd make for an excellent method of recon without tipping anyone off.

Scanning over Konoha with the telescopic vision, my attention was caught briefly by a group of children playing together, and in a reflexive habit I scanned them for any sign of the children that would become the Konoha Twelve. There wasn't any child that I recognised there though, and I spent a few moments watching and vaguely envying them their relative freedom from the burdens I carried. Putting it from my mind, I was about to move on when I saw a hint of movement at the edge of the playground. Standing alone in a little white shirt and yellow shorts, watching the other children play was the whisker-marked form of Uzumaki Naruto.

My focus had sharpened instantly, and I resolved to track Naruto until I found out the basics of what his life was like in Konoha at this age. Hours of monotonous activity had followed, and what I observed by the end of the day was both reassuring and depressing. There had been no mobs, no beatings and screamed imprecations, but from an emotional standpoint what happened instead was almost worse. He'd gotten close to the other children a few times, standing to the side and watching, obviously wanting to be part of the fun, but they determinedly ignored him in a response that was clearly expected by the despondent Naruto.

A few hours later they'd moved off, trailed by their small stalker. They all ended up in a complex of buildings that bore the sign for an orphanage, where the children were welcomed warmly, Naruto coldly. I'd been sure to watch his interaction with the caretakers, and although they had no kind words, he got the same amount of food as the others, and a bed with sufficient blankets for the night. Intermittent observation over the following week had confirmed for me that although his emotional needs were far from being met, physically he wasn't suffering and there was little I could do at this point anyway. I'd check on him tonight after the festival but didn't expect to see anything out of the ordinary.

A ripple, barely seen in the flow of the crowd diagonally ahead of us drew my attention and I used peripheral vision to track the cause. The villagers screening a side street ahead seemed to bulge; breaking to disgorge a small group of dark-haired men with stony expressions and the uniforms of the police force. The leader glanced to the side and saw us, characteristic Uchiha black eyes narrowing slightly; before a perfunctory inclination of the head was offered to my father as the patrol crossed the street ahead. A wave of cool irritation at the arrogant upstart swept through me; such a blatant lack of respect offered to the Clan Head of the Hyūga was only to be expected from an Uchiha.

A mental grinding of gears sounded in my imagination at that last thought. Since when did I really care about the opinions and behaviour of others? Sure, I was learning and practicing the attitude expected of me by the clan; but that was only to secure my position so that I had no need to fear the Caged Bird Seal, not because I actually believed in the inherent nobility and entitlement bestowed by an accident of birth. I mulled it over, looking back at my behaviour and responses over the past half-year, and came to a distressing conclusion.

I already knew that enforced patterns of behaviour quickly became habits, often reworking the neural pathways in the brain to reward compliance, but I'd failed to fully grasp the implications. The longer I acted and spoke the role of the Heir, the more deeply the underlying patterns of thought that supported such actions would be engraved on my mind. I'd have to be extremely watchful that the Clan Heir act remained just that; an act. Otherwise, I could finally reach a position where I had the power to flee Konoha and/or influence the flow of events, only to find my motivation to do either crushed; the bonds of emotion and duty overwhelming my original goals.

Dark thoughts of this nature robbed me of much of my enjoyment of the remainder of the festival; although the sight of a stand selling plush toys reminded me of Hanabi, still too young to leave the clan grounds, and I made sure to use some of the money given me to purchase a large indigo bear as a consolation gift. We retired from the Festival shortly thereafter, and upon confirming Naruto was safely in his room at the orphanage, I lay down with Hanabi's bear facing me in the dark and waited for the embrace of sleep.

* * *

I snapped awake, the transition between waking and sleeping almost instant as morning sunlight was just beginning to brighten the day, letting me know my fifth birthday had begun. Today would be an important day for me; not only was I going to ask for permission to attend the Academy in a year's time but I would also request to be assigned a tutor for the Taijutsu style I'd decided on and projectile weaponry.

After pushing myself for the past month, just two days ago I'd mastered using any tenketsu point for the Jūken; not only with control but also speed, making it a private Christmas present to myself. Today was the first time I would use it in a spar, and even though I could have used my arms for this long ago, I wanted to present it to my father as a completed skill; hopefully impressing him enough that my requests would meet a more favourable response.

Dressed, I took a minute to sheathe thirty hairs with chakra, time down to a couple of seconds for each foot-long strand. As the length increased, I found it necessary to suppress the sensations generated as wind caused the hair to move, so that it didn't interrupt my concentration at a critical time. I made my way silently to the Dojo, traction long since automatically assured with unconscious use of the tree-walking exercise, although some conscious effort was still required to silence the sound of my steps on rough terrain.

I settled into a stance and fixed my eyes on Hiashi; today there was no father and daughter in my mind, just two combatants facing each other. The usual pattern was for him to attack first and I waited in silence, Byakugan engaged and mind both relaxed and focused, watching for the minute shifts of chakra and muscle that would herald an attack. Something changed and I was moving forward, chakra spiking in my brain to allow one part of my mind to handle the movement of my body and chakra, a second to observe both the environment we fought in and compensate for any required changes to the overall strategy.

A brief play of muscle beneath the skin of Hiashi's face, stripped bare to the vision of my dōjutsu, suggested both surprise and approval at my uncharacteristic aggression before he was countering the initial strikes smoothly. With the opening exchange blocked as I knew it would be, I pivoted on a leading foot and twisted off to the right, bending forward slightly to avoid the strikes I saw aiming for my upper back. It was not yet time to reveal the fruit of my hard work and I continued the turn, facing Hiashi's flank as he began to move from his initial position. It was as I'd hoped; although he was fast enough to make any manoeuvring I attempted useless, curiosity at what I hoped to achieve caused him to deliberately slow himself, allowing me this opportunity.

Gripping the floor with chakra, I launched myself towards his side, arm extended like a spear for the shoulder facing me. Faint disappointment at the obvious attack showed in his eyes; then the other hand already moving with the rotation, came striking like a snake for the tenketsu on my attacking limb, deliberately left unguarded. This was the moment I'd been planning for, and the tips of his fingers met my arm in faint blue flashes of conflicting chakra, the tenketsu remaining open. Then I was at the shoulder he hadn't moved, confident my arm would be useless for the Jūken. Three times my fingers tapped, and then his reflexive twist took the target out of my shorter reach.

Still not fully comprehending what'd occurred, his other hand attacked again; only to be batted aside as I brought up the arm I'd just attacked with, our forearms making contact with a crack. The planning part of my mind had been tracking his tenketsu, and as our arms touched spikes of chakra were ejected, closing four points and rendering the coils supplying his fingers with chakra closed.

He leapt back instinctively, battle experience preventing shock from freezing his movements. I shot off in pursuit, chakra boosting my speed enormously as I aimed at his still working shoulder. If I could shut that down, there would be nothing stopping me from getting in close, and with my ability to attack from any bodily contact this should shortly be decided in my favour. His head snapped up, eyes meeting mine and face displaying the most surprise I'd ever seen, before his eyes narrowed and he set himself. I only had a moment to feel trepidation before his working arm shot forward, chakra exploding from the palm of his hand towards me. Reflexively I pushed chakra from the points facing the threat just before it struck, to little avail.

My momentum reversed mid-air, and I spun backwards in an awkward somersault, chest stinging. Even as I flew, my ears registered my father's panicked cry,

"Hinata!"

Long practice in the large training area saw me automatically re-orient to land feet first, gradually increasing the chakra to slow to a halt on the polished surface. I fell into the base stance unthinkingly, staring across at my father before he blinked and barked out a harsh "Stop! …Are you injured? Explain yourself!"

I drew my aching body up and gave a brief bow, before straightening and looking him in the eye.

"After considerable effort at controlling my chakra, I have been able to achieve the same control demonstrated by most Hyūga over the tenketsu in their palm and fingers, in all the points on my body. The applications, both in defence and attack, should be obvious." For the first time I omitted the honorifics due him, partly because I was here to raise my status in his eyes, but mostly out of lingering resentment that the plan I'd slaved over for so long was an abject failure.

He didn't seem to notice, staring at me for a moment in silence. "All the ten...? Demonstrate, now."

Almost an hour later, I'd proved my words to his satisfaction, and he deactivated his Byakugan with a sigh.

"If you sought to impress me, you have succeeded in this instance. I do not recall another occasion of a member of the clan achieving the same at any point. Moreover, the use of it in battle was satisfactory for a first attempt, as was the judgement shown in restricting said use until you had mastered all tenketsu, not just a few."

I inclined my head in acknowledgement of his praise, and moved the discussion towards my ultimate goal for the day. "Thank you, Otou-sama. If I might impose on your time to consider an issue of concern to me, regarding my future?"

He looked at me in anticipation, waiting for me to elaborate on my request.

I marshalled my thoughts and spoke, "I have given consideration to the path of my training and how I might best serve the clan. I wish to request admittance to the Shinobi Academy for the year after next." He was silent for a moment then responded.

"Your reasoning?"

"I would have to attend academic classes to complete my education regardless; the Academy can cover those aspects as a part of the curriculum. From the perspective of the villagers and common Shinobi, seeing the Heir of the Hyūga clan attending the academy will serve to reinforce our connection to the village in their eyes. As for the class I will be joining, a large proportion of the Shinobi clans are sending either the Clan Heir or next in line for the Uchiha; attending the same class will allow me to gather information on the future Clan Leaders of Konoha, including how they think and fight.

Informal alliances can also be established with some care over time, which may prove of great benefit to the Hyūga in years to come." I finished the short monologue and hesitated before forging ahead. "There is also the matter of Hanabi. Should I be confirmed as the Heir, her sealing will follow by tradition. If I were to be enrolled in the academy however, there is a realistic chance that I might not survive to take up the mantle of Clan Head. Hanabi's sealing could be postponed until I made Jōnin, giving time for another solution to be found." I waited for his answer with well hidden trepidation.

Hiashi stood in silence for several minutes as I held myself rigidly still, not daring to express emotion. "You make valid points with regard to the unusual composition of that class, and I had not considered that approach with your sister. Conditionally, I will agree."

I refrained from moistening my lips nervously, "Yes Otou-sama. Conditionally?"

"Your rate of progress with Jūken must not suffer at any time, and you are to limit any use of the Jūken where it can be studied at leisure." He replied sternly.

"In order to assist me with that restriction, I would request assistance with learning an alternate Taijutsu style for use at the academy. There may be instances where missions call for disguise and the Jūken is recognisable as a Hyūga-only art. Additionally, there may be need to engage in combat when near to or suffering from chakra exhaustion. The style that I have selected has minimal external chakra use, although it will require training in projectile weaponry also." I finished, hoping that I wasn't pushing him too far.

"You would have required training in the basics of Shinobi arts in any case; you have the reputation of the Hyūga to live up to." There was a pause as he frowned, "Very well, show me the details of this style you have found later today and I will judge if it is suitable. If I find it so, you will be provided with a tutor to assist in learning it; but remember, the Jūken has ultimate priority!" Came the strongly worded warning.

I bowed in acknowledgement. "Yes Otou-sama, it shall be as you say."

* * *

I knelt in the Dojo, waiting. I'd been informed that my tutor would be sent to meet me here, where I usually trained in the mornings that I didn't spar with father. He'd come to my rooms to review the style I chose, so old it didn't have a name recorded, at least not one commonly agreed on. He spent several minutes listening to my reasons for selecting the style before granting his approval. I refrained from mentioning my intention to see Naruto learn the style, as I could imagine how badly his reaction might go. It was possible that he wouldn't make any complaint, but in this case I felt it better to ask forgiveness if caught rather than permission.

The soft chuff of the screen sliding behind me drew my attention, and a quick pulse of my dōjutsu revealed the surprising identity of my tutor. I waited 'till he moved in front of me and bowed in greeting, voicing my polite appreciation of his skill and time. It seemed Hyūga Hirameki was to be my sensei in this style as well as in the Jūken.

"Hinata-sama, it has been decided after discussion between the Clan Head and myself to reorganise your physical training sessions. For the next year, you will practice your new style under my supervision on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday. We will conduct our normal Juken training on Monday; though you are expected to train in your own time. The Clan Head will spar with you on Friday in addition to the usual Wednesday session." He detailed the new regimen in a dry voice, eyes trained on me as he spoke.

I bowed, "Understood, Hirameki-sensei. Thank you for your assistance."

Faint lines developed around his eyes, a Hyūga frown. "I am given to understand your latest spar with the Clan Head was in some way exceptional. He asked if I had seen anything that was outside the usual Juken technique. Perhaps you might enlighten me as to what I have missed?"

A feeling of gratitude swept through me that my father was apparently allowing me to keep this a secret for the time being. I swallowed and tried to look penitent. "I would not feel comfortable sharing information the Clan Head has decided to keep to himself. My apologies, Hirameki-sensei."

He gave a soft exhalation, "Yes, I had thought you might say that. Very well, I have reviewed my knowledge of the style in question, and I was on a Chūnin team with a Shinobi who used it. Demonstrate the five basic stances."

Learning the basics was much the same as my early Juken training, and again my sensitivity to chakra served as a boost to aid my kinaesthetic sense of where my limbs were positioned. We ran through the basic stances for a couple of hours, before he instructed me to stop.

"Should you continue to progress as you have over the past year, we will be able to start learning Kata in mid-January. Do not practice the stances on your own yet, as mistakes at this stage will required significant time to correct if they become ingrained. When you return on Saturday we will begin work on projectile weaponry, beginning with senbon and shuriken."

* * *

Four months later, the day of Hanabi's second birthday dawned bright and clear, and I went through my morning routine with a smile. I'd been excused from training today and I hurried over towards her rooms, wanting to spend as much time as possible together. Shigure greeted me with a harried look, and it was obvious that Hanabi was proving a handful in her excitement.

"Hina-nee-chan!" She ran towards me, arms out and little legs pumping. I swept her up into a hug, unconsciously using chakra to boost my strength and provide traction as I swung her 'round.

"Happy Birthday, my little firecracker." I said, rubbing my nose against hers. She giggled, eyes going clumsily cross-eyed as she tried to focus.

"Cake!" Came the exited shout.

"Yes, we'll have cake later; in the meantime, let's get you dressed." Shigure gave me a look of gratitude for the help and we set about making Hanabi presentable for father.

Two hours later I sat silently, rubbing softly at Hanabi's back where it couldn't easily be seen by the elders. We knelt in a row, Hanabi, I and the Clan Head, as the heads of the individual families in the branch house came forward one at a time to present the obligatory gift for Hanabi. Each was carefully chosen to be of good quality, but slightly less valuable than that offered me so as not to give offence or make unfortunate implications

I had wondered what it implied that I noticed the discrepancy immediately and reaffirmed my resolution to treat such things as a competitive social game, not as an entitlement due me. Finally the procession tapered off and I stifled a sigh of relief; we'd had to give Hanabi some cake prior to my father's arrival and the beginning of the birthday ceremonies, but now all she wanted was a nap. I'd had to resort to the terrifying threat of no-more-cake to extort a promise of good behaviour from her.

When we were alone Hiashi and I relaxed minutely, and he turned to Hanabi.

"Happy birthday again, Hanabi-chan. You have comported yourself with dignity, well done." She stared up at him in confusion and I repressed the urge to bury my face in my hands. He had absolutely no idea how to relate to young children, which I suppose was one reason I remembered far more of my mother in Hinata's early memories. Hanabi's face was suddenly split by a jaw-cracking yawn, and I tensed to make an apology on her behalf. Father surprised me though, as the harsh lines that made up his face softened briefly, and he leaned down to press a soft kiss to Hanabi's forehead. "Sleep well, little one." He nodded once at me, before rising smoothly and moving from the room.

As I picked up Hanabi to carry her off to sleep, it struck me again that my father, for all his faults, genuinely did love his daughters. It was simply unfortunate that he was incapable of putting aside the position of Clan Head for more than an instant - a warning sign for my own future if I wasn't careful. Still, sitting there in silence had not been without benefit, as it'd let me consider something that had been bothering me for a while.

It was difficult to remember clearly, but I was fairly sure that I'd been treated far less leniently than Hanabi at or near the same age, even with my mother as a shielding influence. The conclusion that I'd eventually come to, was that it came down to the difference in our positions. I was the Heir, and she wasn't. That might go some way to explaining how the sweet little girl I knew might have turned into the sullen little thing I remembered from the manga.

If I _had_ shown myself unsuited for the position of Heir, would increasing pressure have been levied against Hanabi, to ensure she could pick up the burden when I failed? It was hard to separate myself from the phantom feelings of guilt at the thought that I might have been responsible for such an occurrence; or the canon me, I mean the canon Hinata... Once again, and with a growing feeling of futility I reminded myself not to grow too attached here, or I wouldn't be able to leave if it became prudent to do so. Pushing that to the side for the moment, I turned my attention back to the situation with Hanabi.

There was little action I could take at the moment, and isolating her from the expectations of the clan entirely wasn't feasible, any way I looked at it. I'd simply have to continue as I had been, and excel to the best of my ability to keep any pressure on my sister to a minimum. In the meantime I'd keep a close eye on her and her training and interactions with the elders; the last thing I needed to worry about was another family member with similar attitudes to Neji. Once I got to the Academy I'd have more freedom to arrange my schedule and learn the things that really interested me, outside the Hyūga traditional skills.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I originally intended to show considerably more detail of the year between gaining permission to attend the academy and actually doing so, to say nothing of the first day. After consideration however, I'm going to try moving towards a 'show, don't tell' approach from now on, and while I can demonstrate such things to an extent during a spar, there would have been a ridiculous number of such spars either with Hiashi or Hirameki. The parts that couldn't be demonstrated in such a manner, such as elemental training, would have ended up in large amounts of text spent either reflecting on training progress or repetitive training sequences. From now on I want to cover the introduction of a new field, technique or method in detail, with more information revealed during other activities. The next chapter should cover the intro to the Academy, and you'll see Hinata's progress over time, worked into the actions she takes.

On the update speed, I've been offered work over the break unexpectedly, and while it's good that I can afford to eat more than noodles, how much energy I'll have after working 6am - 8pm daily is debatable. Additionally, I've been seized by inspiration for a few different story ideas over the past weeks, and although I can force myself to work on a story, the quality suffers compared to when I have a moment of inspiration as to how a scene should go. I won't predict when the next chapter will be out - sometimes it'll be slow, and sometimes several chapters will come out fairly quickly. Expect to see me begin publishing one of the other stories I'm working on in the next month, but don't worry that this won't be finished; the speed will just fluctuate depending on real life issues and how cooperative my muse is being.

**Credit:** 'Hell is a Martial Artist' by Ozzallos is not where I first saw the idea of training someone to strike critical points by positioning something else in front, but rereading it recently certainly brought it to mind. It can be found on my favorites, kudos to him.


	5. Meetings and Beginnings

**Chapter 4 - Meetings and Beginnings**

The morning of my first day at the Academy, I dressed with care to ensure a good first impression, after hurriedly eating to make time. My father was waiting for me in the receiving room of his chambers, sipping slowly at a cup of tea. He looked up after I kneeled on the other side of the low table, scrutinising my appearance for flaws. With an almost soundless click the teacup was placed down, and he took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Today marks the first time you will be representing the clan to outsiders unaccompanied; you would do well to keep the values and dignity of the Hyūga in mind, not only for today but throughout the academy and your service in the shinobi ranks. I do not expect you to have any difficulty, or you would not have been given leave to attend, but it is appropriate to give a reminder at this juncture in any case." He took a moment to take another sip of tea, and I remained silent, sensing there was more to come. "As you already know, the Juken is not to be used at the academy, but your proficiency with an alternate form should nevertheless allow you to excel; achieving a place befitting the Hyūga and your position."

The warning had been delivered, and I bowed in acknowledgement, "Yes, Otou-sama, I understand and will comply."

"Very well. Come, I will escort you to and from the Academy on your first day." He rose smoothly and moved towards the exit, and I fell dutifully in to one side and slightly behind. It seemed that my improved status in his and the clan's eyes had removed the need to hire a Chūnin to guide and guard me, and so the meeting with Yūhi Kurenai was not going to occur, crushing any plans I had about developing a rapport with her on the way to and from the Academy.

* * *

We passed in silence through the main gate of the compound, the guards from the branch family stationed there bowing to my father as we left. The contrast between the tranquil surrounds I'd grown used to and the bustling sense of activity generated by a city of more than a hundred-thousand souls, even here near the edge, was a marked one. One of the roads that led out of Konoha passed a short distance from the compound, and as we turned onto it I noted a merchant passing with a trail of wagons, obviously not willing to pay the extra expense to have his goods sealed and then unsealed at the destination point. Generally, it was only those who traded in time-critical goods with high price to mass ratio that bothered, and I knew from my studies that it was a common C-rank mission for Chūnin.

Hiashi didn't slow or deviate from his path for an instant, regardless of the people ahead. As we approached, eyes widened and those facing away were tugged to the side, making a path of inclined heads and muttered respects. I kept my face blank, seemingly paying no attention to our surroundings when in reality I took everything in eagerly, excited at what had been a rare chance up to now. Food and trinket vendors lined the edges of the road, catering to travellers entering or leaving Konoha, and had I not eaten already the smells would have been tempting indeed.

My father paused and in an instinctive response I halted also, keeping the correct distance. He turned slightly and past his body I saw a flash of white approaching.

"Aburame-san." His voice was utterly inflectionless, and the response matched it.

"Hyūga-san." Their motion brought them into view, and as I'd already begun to realise, Aburame Shibi the head of the Aburame clan, approached us with his wife and child at his side. My eyes darted to what I vaguely recognised as a much younger Shino, and I had to work to suppress a smile at the tiny white coat and sunglasses. The familiar and monotonously polite greetings between the two clan heads were a blur in the background as we stared at each other, and it was only my experience at noting and interpreting suppressed Hyūga facial cues that allowed me to pick out faint traces of expression on the small portion of his upper face I could see.

"Hinata." My father's voice was firm, and understanding what he wanted I stepped forwards and bowed.

"Honoured to make your acquaintance, Aburame-sama."

"A pleasure to meet the next generation of Hyūga, as expected." He gestured slightly to the side, "My wife you are already acquainted with, and this is my son, Aburame Shino. He shall also be attending the Academy."

At that my counterpart stepped forwards and repeated my actions, directed instead to Hiashi. After responding to Shino's introduction, he glanced down the road before questioning,

"Shall we proceed to the Academy?" Shibi raised one hand from his pocket, pushing up his sunglasses and causing the tassel attached to one side to swing before replying,

"That would be only logical." With that flat statement, he turned and began to move, my father falling in beside him and myself, his wife and Shino arranging ourselves behind.

Gathered in a group, the space afforded us by the civilians as we passed more than doubled, and the silence became almost oppressive. Had I not been so used to working by myself I might have been tempted to try filling it with conversation, and it was with a sense of relief that I realised that Shino was a comfortable person to associate with. He was unlikely to misinterpret my, by now, habitually reserved nature as either arrogance or an attempt to be standoffish; leaving us to our own thoughts as the place I'd be spending significant portions of the next six years drew closer.

* * *

I could hear the chattering noise of conversation long before I saw the crowd out the front of the Academy. It seemed that hundreds of people had gathered before the gates, clustered into family groups chatting with those they knew, then a small but noticeable divide between the civilian families and the applicants from clans or those with a shinobi parent. Hiashi and Shibi, apparently without discussion angled towards a small group consisting of spiky black hair, blondes and heavyset redheads. It was with a start that I recognised what must be the latest generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, clan heads all, and their families. The small slumped form that exuded an almost palpable sense of ennui must be Shikamaru, which would make the red-head at his side Chōji. Curiously there was no sign of Ino though, and I briefly wandered where she was.

We drew within speaking distance, and as our fathers started a shorter set of greetings, Shino and I surreptitiously observed the other children. At a prod from Chōji, nervously chewing a mouthful of chips, Shikamaru expended the effort to raise his head and look about. His blank gaze settled on us, and for an instant something sharp seemed to flash there; then with a barely audible grunt he let his head drop down again. Even knowing something about his character, I had to firmly squash the well-honed sense of insult at such a dismissal, reminding myself yet again of the difference between my public face and the reality.

My attention snapped back as my father turned to face me, "Hinata-chan, I will return this afternoon to collect you. Keep in mind what we discussed this morning."

I dipped my head briefly in acknowledgement and quietly voiced my compliance. As he moved off to one side, I saw the other clan heads also drifting in that direction, and wondered briefly what they'd be discussing at the impromptu meeting. Dropping the speculation, I noticed Shikamaru and Chōji standing alone. The past couple of years had gotten me out of the habit of socialising easily, and I had to steel myself for what was to come. I needed to know and influence these people, if I was to have any hope of changing things for the better, and to do that I had to have a better idea of the details of their characters than that provided in a limited fashion through drawings and text.

I glanced at Shino out of the corner of my eye and took refuge in the formal speech patterns I'd grown accustomed to, "Do you wish to accompany me to greet our fellow students? We will be interacting with them for a considerable period of time."

The way the hood attachment somehow built into his coat creased, I got the idea he turned slightly towards me and nodded, "Should we greet the others? It could be beneficial."

Taking that as an agreement, I moved purposefully towards the male part of this generation's famous trio, Shino falling in behind me. Drawing myself up before them I bowed very slightly and introduced myself, "Good morning, I am Hyūga Hinata and it is a pleasure to meet you both, I look forward to working with you in the future."

There was movement beside me and then a brief, "Aburame Shino. Likewise."

A stilted pause followed, as Chōji finished chewing and swallowed, "Chōji. I'm Akimichi Chōji. Pleasure." Another handful of chips came up and again he bumped Shikamaru.

An annoyed grunt followed, and he slowly raised his head, "I've met Shino-kun already; you though... Ahh, how troublesome." Came in a groan. Again, the response had me biting back my annoyance, until I caught a glimpse of a dark eye watching me. The realisation dawned with a rush; he was provoking me to get a reaction.

Sudden amusement bubbled up, and I tilted my head slightly to the side as if in inquiry, "Oh, you must be Yamanaka Ino, everything I've heard about her personality matches you perfectly!" Ignoring the way his head snapped up and the sudden sound of Chōji coughing, I looked around in feigned puzzlement, "Is your fiancée Nara Shikamaru anywhere around, I would have thought he'd be here with you two?"

Eyes bulging, he stared at me in disbelief, "What? My fiancée... I mean I'm the fiancée... No! I mean..." He cut off there and his eyes narrowed suddenly, examining me.

I allowed one corner of my mouth to be tugged upwards in response to the mirth inside, "Oh? Did the lack of proper introduction cause me to make a mistake? How _terribly_ embarrassing." The last sentence was delivered in a tone dry as dust, and as Chōji got his breath back Shikamaru shook his head,

"Nara Shikamaru, but you already knew that. I'm not betrothed either, troublesome girl..."

I gave him a very faint smile, "Honoured."

A muffled commotion amongst the civilians drew our attention, and following their stares I saw the regal looking couple bearing the Uchiha crest standing with a boy as if to invite undeserving adulatio... I cut the clan-influenced train of thought there, uncomfortably aware that father often paused in a similar manner when attending branch house functions. Assessing the positions of the crowd at a glance, the couple who could only have been Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto moved with their youngest son to a position nearly halfway between myself and the others and our parents. Fugaku let one hand rest on Sasuke's shoulder, keeping him close by as he exchanged frigid nods with the other clan heads.

I wondered briefly if they were isolating themselves because of perceived or actual discrimination and segregation, they saw themselves as superior, or if the coup was already in the works. I remembered that it happened in canon early in Sasuke's academy time, but what year I had no idea.

The vague sense that'd been niggling at me for a few seconds became impossible to ignore, and I turned to observe the large chakra source approaching. The Sandaime walked slowly forwards, smoking his pipe and nodding to those that caught his eye. Trailing him there was a glimpse of gold at waist height, and with a start I realised I'd be seeing Naruto for the first time in person. The Sandaime halted briefly, bending to speak to a clearly nervous Naruto, before rising and moving towards the Academy.

With a series of clicks the Academy gates were unlocked, and a pair of identical Chūnin began to swing them open for the year. The crowd boiled out of the way, and the gates were pushed against the walls and locked in place. One of the Chūnin (an earth clone I now realised), merged into the ground and disappeared, while the other vanished into the swirl of a Shunshin. I'd only begun to deride the pointless expenditure of chakra when the awed voices of the children in the civilian section of the crowd rose in a wave of sound. On reflection I was forced to admit it was an effective bit of showmanship to inspire those without regular exposure to the feats possible for shinobi.

As the Hokage moved past the gates, we were called in by an elderly Chūnin or Jōnin; likely the head instructor or administrator if the body language of the younger instructors was any indication. Once we were gathered into a mostly silent mass, he stepped forward and ran his eyes over the crowd,

"I am Head Instructor Takahito, welcome. We are honoured by the unexpected attendance of the Hokage on this important milestone for so many of you. Today is an important day for all here before me, both the children who are taking the first steps along the path of the shinobi and the families that support them; but it is also important to Konoha as a whole, for without the strength of new shinobi the village cannot succeed. To the children; you have started on a long and hard path, as learning to be a shinobi is not easy, and will require many hours of your best efforts each week. It is however, a path that will bring you much honour as you serve your village and protect all those who call Konoha home from our enemies."

He took a moment to meet the gaze of several in the crowd, driving home the importance of his words, "Say farewell to your families for the day, and then wait in silence for your name to be called by the instructors and your class assigned. Parents, you may return this evening to hear about your child's first day." I made brief eye contact with my father, before he nodded and left at a brisk pace, and I turned back to wait for my name to be called.

* * *

I relaxed lightly back into the hard wooden seat, keeping correct posture but allowing the backrest to support me and looked around inquisitively. I'd chosen a seat near the back corner of the room, preventing any of my classmates from getting behind me in a situation where regular use of my dōjutsu wasn't feasible. At the front of the class heads of pink and yellow hair pressed close together, giggling quietly.

Well, that answered the question of where Ino had been that morning, although I wasn't aware she and Sakura knew each other before the Academy started. Sasuke sat at the front and near the windows - I wondered idly whether he'd move seats at all in the years we'd be here. The other clan heirs were scattered around, with Kiba on the far side of the room near the door, Shino next to me and Shikamaru and Chōji in the middle of the room.

Finished placing people, I turned my eyes towards Naruto, sitting diagonally down from my desk and looking around quietly. He wore a blue t-shirt and black shorts, and despite the many times I'd spied on him this past year I still somewhat expected him to be the shouting, orange-wearing boy I'd read about years ago. He'd obviously hit on that as a means to get attention and acknowledgement during the Academy, and I wondered how long it'd be before the jumpsuit made an appearance, if I hadn't already changed that unwittingly.

The door opened and a grey-haired man in a Chūnin vest entered, sliding it shut behind him. He strode over behind the desk, dropping a pile of folders and turning to face the class.

"If I could have your silence and attention please." For a moment I thought the excitement of the first day would keep people talking, but everyone wanted to make a good impression and the sounds of conversation died away. "Good. I am Nishi Takeo, Chūnin of Konoha. You may address me as Nishi-sensei, and I will be teaching you while you're in the Academy. This morning after I call the class roll, I will tell you briefly what you will be learning in the six years you spend here, and pass on some warnings that you need to know before you go any further. If we have time before lunch we'll start on the Shinobi code. After lunch we will test your fitness to see what level you're at and how much work you need to get where you should be."

He took a piece of paper from a folder on his desk and started off with "Aburame, Shino." Tuning out the question and response while keeping sufficient awareness to answer my name, I kept a wary eye out when he got to the U's, but apart from a slight tightening of the muscles along his jaw there was little difference when he called Naruto's name.

I hoped we'd lucked out and gotten a teacher that was at least indifferent to Naruto, though I wondered when or if Iruka would take over. Had I already changed things so much? I couldn't imagine how increased personal competence on my part could have affected teacher selection at the academy - unless my father intervened I thought with a sudden chill. Once again though, it wasn't something I could affect at the moment, so I put it from my mind as Nishi-sensei finished up with the roll.

Slipping the paper away, he moved to stand in front of his desk, pausing there to regard us. "Over your years here, what you will learn and be tested on falls into four broad categories: Firstly, you will still be required to learn the academic subjects your civilian counterparts do, for you may need them later if you cease to be a shinobi. Secondly, the physical aspect of shinobi life, including Taijutsu, kunai and shuriken and physical fitness. Thirdly, chakra usage, which is the energy shinobi use to perform jutsu and finally the theoretical studies that are part of being a shinobi, including such things as codes and procedures.

While you'll always be learning something from each area, the emphasis for the next few years will be the academic and theoretical areas, shifting to physical combat and chakra use as you progress and draw closer to graduation. I will now give you a warning that you'll hear repeated many times throughout your academy life: Under no circumstances except self-defence or defence of another are you to cause harm to Konoha civilians using the skills you learn here," he finished, staring hard at Naruto for a moment.

"This is not a game, and the citizens of the village have the right to live their lives without fear of us, the shinobi that protect them. If you remember nothing else I've told you today, remember that."

He gave a sigh and seemed to relax slightly, before clearing his throat, "Now, you have something of an opportunity not afforded to those who came before you; after the end of the war, the average length of time spent at the academy began to increase as the need for graduates decreased. Despite a surge in requirement a few years ago," he carefully didn't look at Naruto, "That trend had generally continued. Previously this resulted in additional training being 'tacked on' to the shorter curriculum, but from this year we're experimenting with a redesigned syllabus that will contain greater depth from the start."

Confronted by a sea of blank faces he obviously came to the realisation that his speech had been a little too complex for the average six-year-old, and with a half-heard groan he went on, "By that I mean you'll be leaning more and better things right from the start, okay? Does anyone have any questions?" There was an uncomfortable silence, and I imagined most had been cowed by the serious tone and earlier warning.

Nishi-sensei nodded and bending under his desk pulled out a box containing a pile of books. As he dropped a stack at the front of each row of desks and made motions to pass them back, he began explaining, "These are new texts containing the basic shinobi knowledge, written specifically for the new curriculum and going into more depth than before. Do not loose or deface... scribble on them. This first copy is covered by your enrolment fee; if you need a replacement it will not be cheap."

As I waited for my copy, I reflected that at least one of my worries had been partially dispelled; it would be difficult, though not impossible for a shinobi, to ensure Naruto missed out on or got a doctored copy with us all passing random books back. At some point in the future I'd have to check of course, but for the moment I relaxed.

Once everyone had a copy, Nishi-sensei seemed to nod to himself and spoke, "We'll use the time before lunch to read though the first part of the shinobi code - Hyūga-kun, you begin please."

"Yes sensei," I replied, turning to the first few pages of the book. As I started to read, the formal phrases falling easily from my lips, I wondered how much trouble the less well-read members of the class understood what I was saying, given the difficulty earlier. I'd only gotten through the first few points when I was interrupted,

"Good, well done. Uzumaki-kun, continue." The difference couldn't have been more pronounced, and I winced internally as the halting and often completely _wrong_ words came in Naruto's high-pitched voice. I looked up from my copy to see his face getting redder and redder - he couldn't be unaware how bad it sounded. "Stop. That will be _quite_ enough, Uzumaki-kun. Uchiha-kun, would you continue? Start from where Hyūga-kun finished."

As Sasuke began reading, perhaps not quite as polished as me but many times better than Naruto, I glanced again at the side of his furiously blushing face, moisture glinting for a second before he quickly scrubbed it away. A deep well of sympathy rose within me; he'd probably been hoping to make a good impression from the start, that the Academy would be different and he could finally make some friends. Nishi-sensei having Sasuke start from the same point as Naruto only emphasised the mistakes he made, and the titters of his classmates as he struggled would have been nearly impossible to miss. Children could be thoughtlessly cruel - laughing at someone else struggling let them ignore that many of those appearing most amused would have trouble themselves.

My thoughts were interrupted, "Enough, Sasuke-kun, that was the level I was hoping for." He turned to frown at the rest of the class, "If you struggle with reading, have a parent or guardian teach you. I don't have time to help you myself. You may leave early to lunch; make sure you return here when the double bell sounds." With a wave of excited chatter, students burst from their desks towards the door and I followed slowly in their wake, Shino a silent spectre beside me.

* * *

There were small area's reserved for each grade, with much of ours occupied by a series of wooden structures to play games on. To give myself a minute to think in peace I followed Shino when we got there, heading over to one of the few shade trees on the periphery. Approaching the base I knelt, scanning briefly before gently collecting a beetle and moving it to one side before sitting back against the tree. It was something I would have done anyway, as it took very little effort and care for insects was wise in Konoha in case they belonged to the Aburame, but I couldn't help feeling pleased at the opportunity to demonstrate my consideration to Shino. He pushed up his sunglasses briefly, watching me unpack my lunch, before sitting himself. We ate in companionable silence, as I pondered the problem of Naruto.

He obviously had very little in the way of reading skill, and I could see how if left uncorrected that might lead to the blatant ignorance he displayed in canon towards many aspects of shinobi and civilian basic knowledge. He'd been embarrassed today - how many times would that repeat before he gave books and theory up as a bad endeavour? Even now I could see him standing to one side, watching the rough-and-tumble play and fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt. Every time someone came close he'd open his mouth as if to speak before apparently thinking better of it. I wanted so badly to extend that helping hand of friendship, but his exposed position almost guaranteed that any move to approach would be seen and commented on by kids reporting to their parents later, and I couldn't afford to have rumours start.

At times as I checked up on him in the past I'd seen ANBU watching over him, and the last thing I needed was to draw questions from the Hokage or Danzō as to why the Heir of the Hyūga Clan was going out of her way to befriend an apparently unremarkable orphan that was held in contempt by the village in general. Any move to check with my Byakugan for watchers would have to wait until it wouldn't be noticed; I wasn't fool enough to assume that Shino wouldn't know what the bulging veins around my eyes indicated.

No, I'd only meet him personally once I had a strategy to both avoid notice for the meeting itself, and perhaps more importantly, thought of a way to convince Naruto that our association had to remain a secret without hurting his feelings. Unfortunately that could take weeks, and I wasn't sure I could watch him try and fail to succeed or make friends for so long; I needed an intermediate strategy. I spent the rest of lunch mulling it over without any workable ideas coming to mind, and as the bell rang I reluctantly shelved the problem for later and rose with Shino to go inside.

* * *

I ran, keeping about ten feet between myself and the lightly sweating backs of Sasuke and Kiba. It was only the second lap, and already the class was spread out, looking like a snake that swallowed a large meal; a few at the front, gradually turning into a large bulge containing most of the class, then tapering off into those too unfit or lazy to keep up with the main body. Not surprisingly, most of those with shinobi backgrounds were leading the pack, and I'd chosen to maintain a comfortable distance just behind the leaders after Nishi-sensei dragged us out here with a command to "Run until told to stop."

Two more laps and Sasuke and Kiba were sweating hard, and we'd passed everyone slower than the main body, most of whom were faltering in that pace on the border between a run and a fast walk. I could hear the panting breath of Shino behind me, drowning out my own measured breathing. Another lap and we'd passed the large group, after which most of them dropped to a walk. I had to choose whether to further restrict my pace, as the leaders were starting to flag, and in the end decided outperforming the boys so early wasn't in my best interest.

A quick flash of my dōjutsu when no one was looking showed Naruto coming up fast from behind. He'd fallen back a bit at the start, not comfortable with the faster pace, but once he found the speed he liked he had the stamina to keep it up. With Sasuke and Kiba slowing, he'd pass them out in a lap or two, and it was telling that only a faint sheen of moisture could be seen on his brow.

He was just drawing even with Shino and I, when a voice cut across the grounds, "That's enough! Come in towards me, all of you." Sensei waited until we were all together before continuing, "This was a test to see what level of physical fitness you had; how much you could run before getting tired, because that's very important for a Shinobi. Some of you did very well; Sasuke and Kiba particularly, and Hinata and Shino as well. The rest of you aren't as fit as you should be at the moment, and some of you are in terrible condition."

He took a moment to level a hard look at the worst offenders, before continuing, "That's okay though, we expected this. You'll do at least some exercise every day here, and more on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you work hard, by the time you graduate you should be at the average standard of fitness for a new Genin. If you need or want to do more fitness training outside the Academy, come and talk to me first - I'll help you manage your time so you don't hurt yourself by overtraining. Just like your parents make you sleep at night because it's good for your health, your muscles need to sleep and rest or they'll get hurt."

I had to admit to tuning out some of what he said after that, as I had little interest in following an explanation of the importance of stretching and warm-ups and cool-downs simplified for children's limited understanding. Keeping only enough of my attention on the others to follow in the stretches, I considered what he'd said, and what he _hadn't_ said. I couldn't believe a Chūnin hadn't seen Naruto catching the leaders, or how fresh he still was after the run. While there hadn't been any _active_ acts of discrimination, Naruto's weak point had been highlighted and no acknowledgement had been made of his strength. It wasn't conclusive, but I'd certainly keep an eye out for this pattern of behaviour in the future.

It might take longer than the more egregious examples of abuse and discrimination I remembered from reading fanfics, but long-term exposure to this kind of attitude would either crush Naruto or conceivably give rise to the canon personality I'd been expecting before I started to watch him. The frustrating thing was I couldn't tell if Nishi-sensei was actively discriminating against Naruto in a calculated effort, or just not making the effort to treat him fairly in the face of his own personal dislike.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Nishi-sensei's voice as he called for us to follow him over into the shade of a large tree. Waving those in the front to kneel or sit, he opened the pouch at his belt, pulling out a pair of kunai and a brace of shuriken.

"Although you will also learn other things, these are the main weapons you'll be taught to use as a shinobi here in the Academy. The kunai," He held it up, spinning on one finger, "And the shuriken." Without seeming to look, two shuriken were sent spinning into a far tree, the kunai following a moment later and landing precisely between the two."

"You're giving us them now, sensei?" Kiba exclaimed, eyes gleaming excitedly.

Nishi-sensei chuckled, "No no; you don't even know how to use them in most cases yet. You will each be assigned a set from the Academy; it will stay assigned to you and be restocked with new equipment each year. For the next two years, you'll be given a set before each lesson and return it at the end. The two years after that you make keep it here at the Academy and use it on any of the Academy training grounds when you like but it must not leave the grounds. In your final two years you may take it outside the Academy and purchase some weapons from stores in the village but you are not to use any training grounds outside the Academy until and unless you graduate, or the grounds belong to your clan or you are a guest at a clan's grounds. Do you all understand?"

Nodding at the chorused reply, he smiled slightly. "As it's your first day, we'll finish there. Go to the classroom and collect your things, then wait at the front gate for your parents to collect you; I'm sure they're eager to hear about your first day."

* * *

I nodded at Shino as he moved away to his parents, taking a moment to scan over the chaotic mess of children and parents milling around the gate, until my eyes caught on the despondent features and bright hair of Naruto at the back. He was looking around hopefully, trying to ignore the family groupings right in front of him but seemingly not finding what he was looking for, his shoulders slumped and he ambled away. Presumably he was waiting for the Hokage, whose busy schedule could easily have prevented him from picking up Naruto in the same way he dropped him off. I mentally shook myself; there was nothing I could do about it at the moment, and so I turned and walked forwards to meet my father.

"Tell me of your day; did you make any progress with the important students?" The low-voiced question had waited until we passed the boundary of the clan grounds, and it drew my attention away from my so far nebulous plans for Naruto. As I gave a brief description of the interaction with Shino, Shikamaru and Chōji, I reflected with mild amusement and resignation that the question itself revealed so much about the Clan, my father and myself that he could refer to six-year-old children as having more intrinsic worth than others, and that I'd immediately understood who he was talking about.

"As most things of worth, it will take time. You may find your own way to the Academy from now on." Left unspoken was the backhanded compliment that I was skilled enough to prevent a quiet abduction, at least within Konoha's very walls. We parted, and I moved swiftly back to my rooms.

A quick check revealed no sign of Naruto at the orphanage, and it took several minutes of what was likely irrationally worried scanning before I found him trudging his way down an alley. He shortly turned into an apartment building and made his way to a small set of rooms on the top floor. 'Well, getting to him might be easier if he had his own place,' I mused thoughtfully. I expanded my field of vision... Ah. Perhaps not, then. I suppose it was theoretically possible that the heavily armed and masked residents that were both immediately below and to the side of our resident Jinchūriki were there by happenstance, but somehow I doubted it.

Even completely alone, ingrained habit kept the curses locked behind my lips and a bland expression pasted on my face. It was useless making plans at the moment, I needed to wait and see if the current arrangements were permanent or if they'd be relaxed at all over time. A better idea of both Naruto's routine now that he was at the academy and the full extent of the freedom afforded me was also necessary, much to my disgust. Somehow I would've thought that having to practice patience over the years would have helped more in situations like this, but the sense of anticipation had been building unnoticed within - this was _my chance_! Now I could begin changing things outside the clan!...

Except outside factors prevented me from actually doing much of anything, and it was with resignation that I forced myself to other issues. After all, Hanabi was no doubt waiting for her big sister to come with stories about the Academy, and it was with a lightened heart that I headed off to entertain her.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So. A Year. I won't go into all the reasons in depth here but I'll say the main reason for the pathetic size of the chapter was the long delay itself – I had a detailed plan for how the remainder of the story would go, and how I'd pick up all the training and technique bricks I've been throwing up. It seemed to be going well at first and I managed to get the academy years done fairly early. Unfortunately as I got back into writing these last few weeks (I've been trying to draft the events between graduation and the Chūnin exams before posting this chapter), I found myself increasingly reluctant to write anything even resembling canon. Although there were significant planned changes as the butterflies started to have ever-increasing impact, because I originally intended to limit any influence to the Academy, Hyūga Clan and the other students, major changes to events driven by outside factors became difficult to effect.

I sat down a couple of weeks ago and redid my plot outline completely to something I'm much happier with, but it came with a cost. Virtually all the material I wrote post the first few weeks at the academy was heading in the wrong direction, and I needed things to start diverging earlier. Unfortunately despite significant effort invested I've decided to completely scrap what I'd written for the rest of the Academy, leaving only the first day. Still, I am at least writing again and although I'm not exactly happy with the quality of this chapter (or at all, really), it was at least a good lesson to me in the dangers of taking too much time off, so I'll commit to writing at least a little each day until I get back into a decent pace.

Sincere apologies for the long delay, I'll make sure that doesn't happen again, and I'll go over this chapter when I post the next to try and fix it up. Thanks for all the reviews and PM's, they are appreciated even if I didn't always reply – I'll try to do better in the future.


End file.
